A Lorenzo Christmas
by soulful-sin
Summary: It's Christmas and Timmy's estranged from his godparents. Who knew they'd be upset about him trying to kill them? Miserable from Lorenzo's past abuse, Timmy resorts to desperate measures and The Other does everything in his power to get him back. C22 up.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: Six years ago, I penned a story called "The Other Saga". A few years ago, I started writing _A Lorenzo Christmas_ because I missed Lorenzo/The Other. It started and stopped because I haven't been obsessed with FOP since 2006. It's been a long time.

I'd like to issue a few warnings. As always, TOS contains graphic violence, trigger warnings for self harm, and pedophilia. It is not recommended for the normal, child friendly FOP fan.

I strongly suggest you read TOS P1 and P2 before reading this, with emphasis on P2 since _A Lorenzo Christmas _transpires between P2 and P3.

One last thing- this story predates Poof. Due to continuity problems between the current FOP episodes and my established canon, Poof will not appear. Sorry.

A Lorenzo Christmas

Chapter One: Solitude and Dying Embers

The fire beckoned, its dying embers calling to Lorenzo DeMedici as he swirled the remnants of a very good, rather old bottle of wine. Grimacing, he finished the last drop. It might have been excellent wine, but he disliked drinking. It weakened the faculties and darkness knew he needed his wits about him. Besides, intoxication was for the weak. Lorenzo DeMedici was not weak.

He longed for his sire and it was precisely this desire that caused him to grasp the armchair tightly. Placing his wine glass on the coffee table, he stared into the fire. Its hypnotic crackling implored him to remain indoors. 'Why bother with the outside?' it appeared to say. 'It's warm here. You're safe. You won't have to deal with the frach.'

Lorenzo's eyes narrowed at the mere mention of Wanda. Thinking about her induced the strong desire to snap her neck. Oh, he'd come so close to achieving his ultimate objective and depriving Timmy of his faeries for good. How dare Timmy's real parents intercede and rescue their child. How dare they relinquish their afterlife, albeit confined to ghostly forms, in order to restore 'order'.

What was 'order', anyway, but a term designated by the weak at heart? Lorenzo was neither weak nor impetuous. He differed from his precious sire in this regard, too. Timmy had succumbed to his desire for Tootie and permitted love to obliterate his senses. Lorenzo permitted love to extenuate and enunciate his experiences, but not to lay siege to him. He would not capitulate to its desires.

And, despite the growing headache, he poured himself another glass of wine. The false warmth mollified him. He didn't need Timmy. He neither needed nor brooked companionship.

Yet as his fingers grasped the cool edges of the glass and caressed their sides, Lorenzo thought, mind in a haze, that perhaps companionship had its merits. At least, where Timmy was concerned. In terms of Wanda and Cosmo, well, unless those faeries were crammed into his stocking for Christmas or hanging on the ceiling like mistletoe, he had no use for them.

Hmm. Christmas. The holiday curved the anti faerie's lips into a smile. He wondered what Timmy was doing at the moment to celebrate, if anything at all. What did the child have to celebrate? His liberation from Lorenzo? That was a shallow, lucky victory. Lorenzo would not afford him another.

His fingers clutched the thin neck of the wine glass and he sipped. Merry Christmas, Timmy Turner.  
**

* * *

**

Timmy, rather than ask Cosmo and Wanda to help him decorate the tree, had propped himself up using Tootie to pin the star atop. Cosmo and Wanda watched from a safe distance away. Wanda claimed they were supervising, but Timmy was not fooled by such a weak defense. He knew Cosmo loathed him. Or, if not that, distrusted him. In either case, Timmy had a better chance wishing for the moon from a shooting star than receiving even the simplest wish from Cosmo. Ironic, considering they were his faerie godparents, existing here for him.

"Why can't you use a ladder like a normal person?" Tootie teased. She was reserved around him, but far more accepting than either of his surrogate parents. She understood the compulsion to be led astray and the temptation of unleashing inner demons. She had, after all, lived with Vicky. While no one really comprehended what Timmy had gone through, Tootie tried. She did. He had to give her credit. She was doing much better than Cosmo and Wanda, neither of whom attempted much of anything.

_Unless you count the nights when I awake and swear arms are around me._ Had Wanda deigned to become the absent faerie, a phantom in the night? Was it because of Lorenzo's prior influence? Well, of course. There was no doubt. And Timmy wouldn't force the issue of trust, because he'd done nothing to re-earn it.

"Hello? Earth to Timmy!" Tootie waved a hand in front of his face and Timmy blinked. He smiled weakly, eyes flicking to Cosmo and Wanda. Wanda sat up, reading a book, and Cosmo lay with his head on her lap. She absently stroked his green locks and Cosmo smiled, contented.

"What?" Timmy said, blinking, and regarded her. Cosmo snorted, occupied by nothing and therefore free to condemn Timmy to his heart's content. Timmy bristled and forced himself back to the here and now. If he daydreamed, Cosmo called him on it. If he slipped up once, just once, Cosmo noticed and slammed him down. He hadn't even wanted him to move back into his old house.

"Oh, sorry," Timmy continued. How often had he uttered that word since his return? Yet it never had an impact. Cosmo would turn his head and Wanda's beautiful pink eyes would shimmer like she considered accepting it, but sided with her husband.

"You should be," Cosmo snapped and Wanda sighed. Plucking a bookmark out of her bun where she'd stored it, she marked her place in the book and laid it aside gently.

((Cosmo, please.))

((What?))

((Can't we have a nice, pleasant Christmas without you throwing barbed insults at Timmy every five minutes?))

((Sure, if we can erase Halloween and the months he spent trying to _kill us_.))

Wanda sighed and Timmy studied her. Naturally, he hadn't been privy to her conversation, but through Cosmo's and Wanda's expressions, he gathered the gist of it. He wasn't utterly hopeless in the brains department. Plus, the way Cosmo insulted him lately, it wasn't hard to detect what was on his mind. One of the few things that reached cognizance.

"Merry Christmas to you too, Cosmo," Timmy muttered and wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead. He stood apart from the tree to admire it and grinned weakly at Tootie. She matched his grin and examined the tree from all angles. Once finished, she flashed him the 'thumbs up' and bounced on the balls of her feet.

"Can almost murderers _have_ a Merry Christmas?" Cosmo replied and Timmy's eyes narrowed. However, Cosmo meant nothing malicious by it. He was merely asking a question. Wanda sighed, exasperated. She wasn't going to force Cosmo to forgive Timmy when she hadn't herself. Forgiveness would take time. Hopefully, Lorenzo wouldn't thrust them into another situation that would rob them of that precious gift.

* * *

Hours later, after Lorenzo's fog had descended and claimed him, he distinguished a faint knocking on the door. Not his private library door, mind you, but the front door. Were he in better straits, he would have considered it queer indeed that someone had reached his door at all. The mansion's barriers ought to repel those unwanted and, in terms of general humanity and faerie kind, everyone with the exception of Timmy Turner was unwanted.

Lorenzo straightened in his chair and rubbed his eyes. He knew he ought to investigate the matter and exterminate whoever dared intrude on his solitude. Yet, simultaneously, his limbs and the fire clamored for him to languish. The fire was warm and he was so very weary. He wanted to sleep and escape his failures.

The knocking grew more insistent and Lorenzo's eyes narrowed. Something should be done about his pesky visitors. Unfortunately, he lacked the capacity at the moment to deal with whoever it was in the way to which they were best suited. The alcohol had permeated his brain and clouded his senses.

_There should be a spell to rid myself of this wretched after effect..._ Lorenzo thought and groped for the button amplifying his front door's speakers. Guests were to announce themselves and he would be able to rid himself of them. In theory, the alert system served its former master better, whoever had added it, but right now, with him currently incapacitated, he had no desire to deal with whoever it was face to face.

"Yes? Who do you think you are?" Lorenzo mentally cursed. He'd slurred. Nonetheless, part of him didn't care. His eyelids were so heavy. Let whomever it was wreak havoc...let him sleep...

_No!_

Lorenzo bolted upright, stunned at the apathy in his prior thoughts. He slapped himself in the face and concentrated. Timmy hadn't completely severed his tie with him; Cosmo and Wanda hadn't taught him how to do that. Through their link, he transferred his inebriation to his sire and placed his hands on his knees. The room cleared and the power his drinks had held dissipated. He was sober again.

Rising to his feet, he crossed the library in several quick, long paces. Opening the door, he swept through the corridors and, in time, would arrive at the front door.  
**

* * *

**

Timmy suddenly stumbled and careened into the floor. Cosmo snickered and Tootie rushed to her beloved's aid. Wanda, meanwhile, hung back and studied Timmy. His blue eyes were glazed over again and she glanced away. She didn't want to believe he was up to his old tricks and communicating with Lorenzo, but Cosmo could be right. Timmy had already tried to kill them once before. As they said, history repeated itself. And Cosmo and Wanda had lived through enough history to know.

"What's wrong?" Tootie demanded and fixed Cosmo a stern look. Cosmo shrugged and twirled his wand. He could help. But he wouldn't. Tootie hissed, shaking her head, and guided Timmy to his feet.

"I dunno," Timmy slurred and leaned against her. He stared not at her, but through her. Tootie shivered.

"I feel like I've been drinking...but I haven't..." At least, this was what he tried to communicate to her. Whether or not it sounded like that once it reached his mouth was another story. His brain and mouth possessed a tenuous connection that twanged like a guitar string. He swayed on his feet again and Tootie clutched him tighter.

"The Other?" Wanda said and Cosmo shot her a dirty look. She shot him one back and cautiously approached Timmy. Timmy retreated and she blinked. Well, that was unexpected. Then again, drinking reduced inhibitions. Even if it had been Lorenzo drinking and not Timmy, if Lorenzo had transferred the effects, then Timmy would be the one suffering.

Timmy nodded in response to Wanda's question and nearly fell again. Tootie grasped him and, gnawing her lip, decided to help him up the stairs and to his room. Cosmo watched, scoffing, and Wanda hesitated. Her split loyalties prevented her from jumping to Timmy's side and her own fear held her back.

"The Other made you drunk?" Tootie said, bewildered. She didn't understand how that could work, but Timmy nodded. He tripped up the stairs and Tootie sighed, cradling him. Her fingers slipped through his chocolate brown hair and she stroked it gently. He turned his head toward her and flashed her a grateful smile.

"How?"

While the two humans traversed the stairs, Cosmo and Wanda floated behind. Wanda paused and then upheld her wand. Timmy and Tootie froze; the raven haired girl spun to glance at Wanda. The pink haired faerie's hand trembled and, under Cosmo's gaze, she quailed, but she spoke regardless.

"I think I know," she spoke quietly. Cosmo cocked an eyebrow at her and she drew a deep breath before continuing.

"The Other and Timmy still share a bond because Timmy sired him," she began tentatively and Tootie nodded curtly, imploring her to continue. Wanda's eyes fell upon Timmy and she swallowed hard. It was so difficult to be in close quarters with him ever since he'd joined Lorenzo's ranks and then departed.

"The Other transferred his energy to Timmy for whatever reason..." she trailed off as the truth dawned on Cosmo and he laughed. Wanda stared, bemused, and he smirked at her.

"The Other got drunk!" he said and Tootie glared at him.

"And now Timmy's paying the price," Tootie snapped and Timmy hiccupped.

"So?" Cosmo's laughter earned him dirty looks from the two females. Wanda sighed, prodding Cosmo with her wand to silence him. He suppressed a few giggles; Tootie rolled her eyes.

"The question is," Wanda said, "how much did The Other drink?"


	2. This Too Shall Pass

Author's Note: I realize this series isn't popular, but I don't care. It's still my favorite fanfic idea, and Lorenzo is too awesome to abandon.

For those who are reading, please review. And those who are reviewing, thank you! :D

Chapter Two: This Too Shall Pass

"We wish you a Merry Christmas...we wish you a Merry Christmas..."

Lorenzo heard the carolers ere reaching the front door and grimaced. A fireball twitched in his right palm, but he extinguished it. No, immolation was not on the schedule for today. However, concealed in his right hip pocket was a machete. Slashing throats and maiming children ought to improve his mood. In the very least, it'd eliminate bothersome intruders.

"Merry Christmas, mister!" a small girl with mousy brown hair squeaked. The group contained five children, all no older than thirteen, and no adults in sight. They'd traveled far beyond the entrance gates, one of which creaked in the breeze. Given their distance from the road, no one would see if anything transpired on his front step. And, because his mansion was located on the outskirts of Dimmsdale, it was also unlikely people would hear the children scream. Good. He didn't want to clean fresh blood off his floors.

"I do believe the sign out front reads 'no trespassers', yes?" Lorenzo said and the girl faltered. She flashed him a small smile that would have warmed Lorenzo's heart if he had a heart. Or, rather, one inclined to maudlin displays. The other children grinned in kind, hoping to coerce Lorenzo into donating to one charity or another. The only charity Lorenzo supported wholeheartedly was "donate Timmy to my lap" charity. Since it didn't exist, he had no desire to aid anyone. It was almost beside the point that he wasn't officially on Dimmsdale Junior High's pay books and had yet to receive a paycheck.

"But, mister, we're not trespassers," the girl replied and Lorenzo grinned. But it was not the same grin that the children flashed him. This was entirely feral and one of the children, one imbued with common sense, shivered. She broke away from the rest and the leader stared at her. Well, if one decided to save their own hide, then she was welcome to it.

The girl fled, dropping her choir book in the process. A boy started after her and Lorenzo placed a hand on his shoulder to wrench him to his side.

"Now, once more, from the top," Lorenzo said, pulling out his machete. The four remaining children screamed and attempted to run, but Lorenzo invoked a stasis field around the porch. They were pinned to the ground. Wide-eyed and doleful, they stared at their executioner.

"We wish you a bloody Christmas...we wish you a bloody Christmas..."  
**

* * *

**

Timmy, laying on his bed, leaned over and vomited. The immediate alcohol effects had begun to dissipate, thanks in part to Wanda's subverted aid. However, this action had nothing to do with Lorenzo's drinking. It dealt more with the gruesome mental images Timmy had of Lorenzo stabbing one little girl in the chest, another boy across the throat, and scalping the second little girl, flinging her blond hair away, and silencing her screams by hacking off her jaw. The machete sliced through like it was butter.

Sick to his stomach, Timmy vomited until he dry heaved and tears burned the corners of his chest. He raised a shaky hand to wipe his mouth and, at that instant, Tootie entered. He shook his head at her and, wrinkling her nose, she rushed to clean the area (and him). If Timmy could muster the strength to thank her, he would. But right now, images of Lorenzo's slaughter seared his mind.

"Drink this," a soft, feminine voice implored him and lifted a cool water glass to his lips. She stroked his hair and Timmy slumped into her arms.

"It'll remove the taste in your mouth."

Her hand smoothed his bangs back and caressed his cheek. Timmy, still out of it and not entirely cognizant of who administered to him, failed to realize that the hand, like the rest of the creature whispering these words, had no weight. Not to mention the door hadn't opened to admit her. She'd appeared out of thin air.

"Wanda?" Tootie called and, like that, the ephemeral presence vanished. Timmy fell back onto the pillows and groaned, opening his eyes. There was no trace of Wanda.

In Tootie's hands, she carried a water bucket and sponge. She'd tucked a paper towel roll under her arm and, after dabbing Timmy's cheek with a wet cloth also in the bucket, set about to cleaning the area. Timmy shut his eyes again and smiled weakly. So it _had_ been Wanda. Wanda...  
**

* * *

**

"Are you insane?" Cosmo snapped once Wanda had returned to the tree house.

"He's sick!" Wanda countered, glancing out of the window and into Timmy's. She distinguished Tootie, completed with her primary task, cradling Timmy to her chest. Tootie trusted him more than anyone else in the house. Unwavering loyalty and unconditional love; Wanda knew the sensation, but Cosmo's desire to protect and shield her from Timmy interfered with it.

"How do you know he's not pretending?" Cosmo retorted and Wanda drifted across the room. Her eyes glanced upon the pink curtains, billowing in the cold breeze. With a wave of her wand, the window shut. Heaven knew it was chilly enough without winter butting in.

"If he is, then he's going to great lengths for it," Wanda answered, her certainty ebbing. "I _think_ he's honestly afflicted by whatever Lorenzo did."

"But you don't know," Cosmo answered and Wanda sighed. He had a point. Folding her arms across her chest, she settled in midair and sat Indian style. Tootie stroked Timmy's cheeks, flushed, and kissed his forehead. Wanda felt a pang of guilt. Perhaps she ought to be in there too, helping Timmy feel better. But Cosmo's well grounded suspicions restrained her.

"There's a way to find out," Wanda replied. "We could always cast a truth spell."

Cosmo said nothing. He disappeared for a few moments and Wanda blinked, staring at the space he once occupied. A moment later, he returned holding a small elixir that had nothing to do with truth spells at all. It was a mild sleeping draught, designed to cut off a faerie's ties to others while he/she slept and prevented creatures with a direct link from affecting them. However, it was too potent for a human to drink undiluted and thus, along with the elixir, Cosmo held a small water bottle.

"Give that to him," he instructed Wanda and disappeared again. Wanda, after a moment's pause, mixed the elixir and water, popped it into Tootie's hands with instructions, and followed Cosmo.

* * *

Timmy slept fitfully, tossing and turning despite Cosmo's elixir. Tootie sat on the edge of his bed and stroked his sweat sodden hair. The elixir had diminished Timmy's connection with The Other, but Timmy's nightmares flourished in its absence. He moaned, latching onto her arm and wrenching her to his side. She flopped beside him and stared, watching his eyelids twitter. She stroked the side of his clammy face and rested her hand on his left cheek.

Whimpering, Timmy wrapped an arm around her waist and she sighed. Today was the two-month anniversary since Cal's death. She'd intended to mourn his loss in private. Not to mention that she still feared Timmy and distrusted him. While her apprehension was nowhere near as profound as Timmy's godparents, it existed nonetheless. He'd broken her wrist, lest they forget. She had not been impervious simply because The Other's funneled hatred was focused primarily on Cosmo and Wanda.

Out of the corner of her eye, she espied a figure that resembled her. Normally, she'd attribute it to her reflection, but this Tootie was older, war worn, and carrying a small child that could only be Timmy's. The anguish in her features lingered in Tootie's mind long after the image faded. Her heart wrenched and she bit her lip. What had _that_ been about?

Timmy cried out, close to waking. Due to the power of the elixir, he faded back into unconsciousness. He trembled and clung to Tootie. Tootie glanced into the window again, but saw nothing more. She resigned herself to her fate. It was going to be a long night.  
**

* * *

**

"What do we know?" Wanda asked, not troubling to keep her voice down or speak via telepathy. She paced the air, transformed into a human to trip over her feet, and chagrined, returned to her faerie form. Cosmo studied her and the way her bun spun when she pivoted.

"That The Other's teaching Timmy how to be drunk?" Cosmo suggested and Wanda ignored him like she tended to do whenever he offered nothing useful.

"That the Other is miserable without his sire," Wanda continued and halted, pink eyes hooking onto his green ones. He smiled at her and she restrained the urge to smile back. Sometimes, in the right light, when he smiled at her like that, her heart skipped beats like it had the first time they met. Even after the thousands of years of marriage, there were moments when Wanda swore they were teenagers again.

"And he might do anything to get him back," Cosmo completed and Wanda, who had begun pacing anew, halted and smacked into Cosmo. The sudden burst of insight had stunned her. It sent the two scrambling through the air and only Cosmo holding his wand prevented the two from careening into the living room wall. It ceased their backward momentum and Wanda exhaled sharply.

"Sorry," Wanda breathed and Cosmo shook his head. Once he'd established the roll, preventing its eventual cascade downhill was like trying to stop an avalanche. Cosmo was having one of his 'hunches', except in a vaguer sense than usual. Wanda recognized the distant, opaque look in his eyes.

"He's got that link to Timmy and he knows he can use it to his advantage. He already got drunk and passed the symptoms onto Timmy. What if he does it again, on purpose? I mean, we saw in the What-If Spell what happens when Timmy's drunk and Lorenzo's in control. What if that really does happen?" Cosmo was thinking aloud, another anomaly for him. Wanda knew he had received via images and translated it the best he could. It was an erratic gift and one that would work to their advantage now. If it wasn't too late.

But the question had to be asked and Cosmo spoke.

"But what can a drunk Timmy do?"

"Whatever The Other can't get him to do sober," Wanda answered.  
**

* * *

**

Lorenzo eventually tracked down the missing girl. He never liked loose ends. Loose ends equaled loose lips and loose lips, as the saying went, sank ships. Since Lorenzo's ship had already accrued a few holes in the past few months, he decided to avert disaster and avoid side scraping the hull. He had no desire for the girl to repeat her night's occurrences and by the time Lorenzo was finished with her, there was precious little she could vocalize. Considering he'd slit her throat and all.

Pocketing the machete (after he'd cleaned the pesky human blood off it), he carefully placed it back in its holder lest he stab himself. Oh, but then the pain could be transferred to his beloved Timmy. Oh, Timmy. Timmy, Timmy, Timmy. What he wouldn't give to come home to him ready to hop into his lap. Their tongues could battle and, if he played his cards right, Timmy would convince himself it was Tootie he was with the whole time. The way it used to be. Lorenzo knew when the enchantment dissipated, he'd realize it was Lorenzo he'd had sex with and not Tootie, but that day had been far off.

Had been being the key words there. Since Cosmo and Wanda stole his Timmy away with their wretched "what-if" spell, he was left with an empty house. Well, not entirely empty. There was always Remy, but what use did Lorenzo have of Remy? Remy wasn't even good for oral. The pitiful child choked.

Now, Timmy, on the other hand. Timmy was another story entirely.

A feral grin split Lorenzo's face at the recollection. Timmy was the best at what he did when he was too subdued and entranced to identify what he was doing. Just thinking about it induced a burning longing in (where else?) his loins. He had to get him back. There was no two ways about it.

Besides, what use were Timmy's skills to Tootie? He didn't know how to please a woman (not that Tootie was a woman). He knew how to please a _man_. And that was what counted. The slut wouldn't put him to good use. Lorenzo, well, Lorenzo had other ideas in mind for his sire. Most of them involved Timmy wearing a scullery maid's dress and nothing underneath.

He grinned gleefully and rubbed his palms together. He needed a plan. And glancing at the bloody doorstep where he'd left "Daddy's little angel" gave him an idea.  
**

* * *

**

Vicky ascended the stairs well after midnight. She liked to check on Tootie, especially since Timmy had moved back into the house. Her warped view of the world had contorted into an anti Timmy and The Other funnel. Anything contending with either she disliked with great intensity. Timmy was responsible for The Other. Therefore, Timmy was responsible for her rape. And since Timmy had hurt Tootie...he was deeper on Vicky's shit list than he'd been before. Which was an admirable task for a twelve-year-old boy.

She winced at the creaking middle stair, eased the door open, and crept into the house. Lamplight illuminated Cosmo and Wanda, who had fallen asleep on the couch. Vicky's eyes narrowed. There was a special spot reserved in her black hole of a heart for Cosmo and Wanda, since they two were responsible for her situation. Still, Wanda was a good creature. She couldn't hold it against her...well, she could, but she'd reserve her hatred for others more deserving.

Sneaking past them, she slid up the stairs and onto the first floor landing. Timmy's door was ajar and Vicky tiptoed to it. The overhead light was on and Vicky glowered. Tootie was fast asleep, cheek-to-cheek with the twerp. They looked pretty comfy, in fact. Vicky's blood boiled.

How _dare_ she fall asleep with the twerp after what he'd put her through? Didn't she have any common sense? He could kill her in her sleep. He could be pretending to sleep and clutch a hidden weapon. Didn't she know sleeping near him left her vulnerable? Vicky was going to have to have a rather violent talk with her little sister.

Striding into the door, Vicky slammed the door into the wall. It resonated and Tootie awakened, startled by the loud noise. Timmy, too, started, but the elixir's strength lulled him back to sleep. Subconsciously, he yanked Tootie back to him, but Vicky reached her first. Digging her nails into her sibling's wrist, she wrenched Tootie off Timmy's wall and hauled her to her feet. Tootie blinked, bleary eyed.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Vicky hissed and released Tootie. The nail indents hurt; Tootie rubbed at them gingerly. Vicky, pissed, slapped Tootie's other hand away. Tootie's purple eyes narrowed to slits and her glasses slipped down her nose.

"I might ask you the same question!" Tootie retorted. She indicated Timmy, tossing and turning. His eyelids fluttered and Tootie swallowed hard. She doubted the power of the elixir versus Timmy's compulsion to rouse himself from his nightmares. The latter might win out.

"You're fraternizing with the enemy," Vicky snapped and folded her arms across her chest. Tootie snorted, imitating her sister.

"I didn't know you knew that word," Tootie shot back. Vicky snarled, light pink eyes flashing. She did not take well to being mocked, especially by younger siblings that ought to know their place. Vicky knew better. Always. Tootie should learn her place and not question her older, wiser sister. Particularly if she wanted to survive to adulthood. Provided she lived that long and continued hanging out with Timmy, which Vicky sincerely doubted.

"That isn't the point," Vicky growled. "The point is you can't trust him and you're going to get yourself killed."

"You weren't even involved," Tootie shot back. "You don't know what happened."

"I know enough," Vicky hissed. "I know that you must have a hole in your head, because your brains are leaking out the side."

Tootie clenched her fists and gritted her teeth. Timmy's tossing and turning increased and he thrashed, blankets wrapping about his legs. One of the pillows toppled to the floor and instinctively, Tootie darted forward to remedy the situation. She doted on Timmy. She admitted it.

And Vicky admitted that over her dead body would she let Tootie put herself in danger. If Vicky couldn't protect herself, then she was going to defend her only remaining family member. She owed it to Tootie to prevent the same catastrophe from recurring. Although if it did, then Tootie might murder the remaining Turner. That was a cheery thought. One less Turner to deal with.

Vicky dug her fingers into Tootie's wrist until the older girl's knuckles whitened with the pressure. The pain caused Tootie to fling her arm back, but Vicky held tight. The heat laden fury of Tootie's gaze could have melted steel.

"So you're going to hurt me to prove your point?" Tootie screamed, forgetting Timmy was still asleep. But for not for long. The cry had been enough to finally spring Timmy from his horrible, nightmare-riddled sleep and into the realm of the waking. He sat upright and stared at the scene. Unlike a certain boy genius in another realm, his brain didn't kick start with the rest of him. Vicky and Tootie arguing in his room. Does not compute.

"Whatever," Vicky snapped, flinging Tootie into Timmy. She scoffed and left the room. She had no interest contending with the boy brat. Besides, her warning had been delivered. She hoped Tootie listened to it instead of doing whatever she wanted to. However, Vicky knew better than to expect Tootie to avoid Timmy. The pigtailed girl was attracted to him like a moth to the flame. And, in Vicky's opinion, one of these days, the moth would burn to a crisp.  
**

* * *

**

Love was nothing but a chemical reaction in the brain. Lorenzo would utilize the proper chemicals to his desired reaction. And, then, once that happened, Timmy would _beg_ to be his sex slave. He'd _plead_ to be ordered about and then, then Cosmo and Wanda would see. They'd _suffer_ the repercussions of their actions.

"Silly frach," Lorenzo said, staring out the window at the midnight sky. The silver crescent moon shone amongst the stars and a smile curved his lips. It was not a pleasant one in the least.

"Timmy's tricks aren't for kids."  
**

* * *

**

Timmy bolted upright in bed again and glanced at where Tootie had been. There was no one there. Goosebumps littered his arms and he rubbed them liberally. He had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. And things with Lorenzo always started in the gut. Or...maybe a little lower.


	3. Firefly

Author's Note: "Fucking firefly, have you lost your light? Now I hate your ways 'cuz they're just like mine…"

I've been rewriting TOS P2 very slowly. I'm up to chapter seven. Starting from chapter four, the fic got overhauled. If anyone is curious. 3

Chapter Three: Firefly

Dawn broke over the city of Dimmsdale and with it, birds twittered and Timmy pressed a pillow tightly over his head. The world, quiet in its rousing, nonetheless remained too loud to his delicate head. Every sound drilled into his head; every light blinded him; and his head ached like someone had slammed a sledgehammer into it last night. He tasted vomit in his mouth, groaned, and rolled over onto his back. What had he done last night? Moreover, why did he have to deal with Lorenzo's hangover when the rotten anti faerie had managed to escape its effects completely? The world was infinitesimally unfair.

He ignored the bright sunlit hues decorating the sky and buried his face in the pillow. Taking deep, calming breaths, he detected another presence in the room. It flitted, creating a light breeze that ruffled his chestnut hair. Cautious, Timmy lowered the pillow to discover Wanda hovering a few inches above his chest. She did not look well. Bags under her eyes and the general pallor of her face suggested she'd not slept well, if at all.

"How are you feeling?" she asked and clutched her wand tightly enough to whiten her knuckles. Cosmo folded his arms across his chest and remained in the far corner of the room. Wanda had decided to visit Timmy of her own accord; Cosmo had tagged along to ensure Timmy didn't strangle her or otherwise maim his fairy godmother.

_It's nice to see_, Timmy thought sardonically, _that my godparents completely and totally trust me after dealing with Lorenzo. I mean, The Other._

"My head's killing me," he answered honestly and Wanda inclined her head in a slight nod. Timmy glanced at Cosmo, but he provided no cutting remark. Rather, the green faerie focused his attention elsewhere. Timmy pretended that didn't sting. Still, Wanda's attention was better than none at all.

"I suspected as much," she responded, sighing. Squeezing her wand, she produced a couple magically altered pills that would alleviate his hangover. She then procured a glass of milk, handed the items to Timmy, and watched him down them. After a brief pause in which Timmy stared at Wanda through the glass and Cosmo gazed at Wanda out of the corner of his eye, she descended to the bed. Cosmo's expression darkened, but he, again, said nothing. Cosmo's lack of speech disconcerted Timmy. It was unnerving for Cosmo to be quiet for half a minute, much less give Timmy the cold shoulder.

"Why are you guys here?" Timmy inquired in his typical blunt manner. Wanda sat Indian style on his bed and extended a trembling hand to caress her godson's cheek. After a second, she rescinded it and Timmy resisted the temptation to finger the area she'd brushed. That was the most physical contact she'd initiated in a while. And, for her attempt, Cosmo's glare kicked up a notch.

"We need to talk," Wanda stated and Timmy's heart sunk. How often had he heard those four words uttered together? They had to be the world's worst concoction devised. He glanced away, unwilling to converse once more about his mistakes and how much they mistrusted and disliked him because of it. He hated the way his stomach flip flopped when he contemplated how close he'd gotten to killing his only family. He detested the way Wanda quaked when she described what Timmy had done to the dummies that represented them. And, above all, he loathed how much their relationship had deteriorated as a result. He just wanted them to love and care for him again, the way things used to be.

"Can we just..." Timmy scrambled for the words and swallowed hard, a lump surfacing in his throat. He glanced at Cosmo, who wouldn't look at him. He glanced at the boy once, out of the corner of his eye, and then shifted so his gaze swept Wanda instead. Timmy's stomach somersaulted. He hated this. He hated feeling responsible for everything.

"Cosmo," Wanda called and he jerked, glancing at her. His eyes flickered to Timmy and then, scowling, settled on his wife. The tension was thick enough to cut with a butcher knife.

"Do you feel like enlightening Timmy? It was _your_ hunch."

Cosmo's cold look brought Wanda's sputtering attempt to a halt and she sighed. Through their link, he sent, ((I don't want to give him any more weapons.))

He didn't have to clarify. She knew what he meant.

"'I'm going to kill you guys by sunset and you're going to kick me out of the house before it happens'?" Timmy snapped. "Or 'Cosmo can prove I'm going to strangle you in my sleep, Wanda, so you'd better not be sneaking into my room to hug me'?"

The look on Cosmo's face told Timmy that Wanda had _not_ been informing her husband of her late night visits. Timmy was sorry he'd even brought it up, because Wanda retreated on the bed. She folded her arms across her chest and hugged herself. Her eyes lingered on Timmy, who shivered. Hostility practically radiated off of Cosmo.

"You...knew?" Wanda said. Her face tightened and she gnawed her lip. She wasn't doing a good job concealing her fear and Timmy fought disgust. She did believe he'd strangle her in his sleep. What kind of crap was that? Did she mean to say she didn't even trust him when he was asleep in bed? She didn't...trust him at all. Period.

God that hurt.

"Yeah," Timmy said and Wanda stared, downcast, at the covers. She responded flatly with an 'oh'.

"You lied to me," Cosmo snapped and Wanda shivered. She wouldn't meet her husband's gaze and he violently cut through the air to her side. He was livid. She was meek, for once. And Timmy wanted to be anywhere but here.

"You told me you were stepping out for a minute!"

"I never said _where_ I was going," Wanda shot back, raising her head. Her eyes were defiant. She rose to her insubstantial three feet height and glared daggers at Cosmo.

"I didn't know I had to ask your permission first!"

"It would have been nice," Cosmo snarled. "If you'd consulted me before visiting the murderer!"

"I didn't kill anyone!" Timmy snapped, jumping to his feet as well. He was ignored. The argument was, after all, between Cosmo and Wanda. It just happened to _involve_ him, as all their arguments nowadays did.

"He's my godson!" Wanda retorted. "I have an obligation to him-"

"It ended when he tried to kill us!" Cosmo snapped back. "If Jorgen knew what was going on here, we'd be removed so fast-"

"Then why don't you tell him?" Timmy interjected, voice trembling and menacing. "If I'm such a burden, why don't you tell him how much you hate me and how I've ruined your lives? You can get reassigned. It would obviously make you two happier."

The comment tore Wanda's attention from Cosmo and onto Timmy. She ascended into the air and swallowed hard. The effort to compose herself and reply without an indictment further reduced the color of her cheeks. Timmy pitied her. She tried too hard.

"But, Timmy...we're your only parents now," Wanda said, subdued.

"Yeah, Timmy, you're an orphan," Cosmo said, glancing at his godson for once. Timmy shrugged, cerulean eyes cold and piercing.

"You don't care. You hate me," Timmy said, folding his arms across his chest and staring at the wall. "You'd rather be reassigned than deal with me."

"We don't hate you. We..." Wanda trailed off. There was no way for her to complete that sentence and the three parties knew that. They lapsed into an awkward silence. Timmy felt unwelcome in his own room. He had to leave, get away from Cosmo and Wanda. So, shooting them a dirty look, he strode to the door.

"I'm going to see Tootie," he snapped before stepping out and slamming it.

"He thinks we hate him," Wanda said in the silence that followed. She was stung. She didn't hate Timmy. She could never hate him.

Cosmo had no response.

* * *

Timmy locked himself in the bathroom, _his_ bathroom, and stared at the medicine cabinet. A normal person would have pills, elixirs, what have you. Timmy had razors. Dozens of sharp, indented blades contained in small boxes littered his shelves. They varied in size, acuity, and precision. Some were simple linoleum razors with the tiny u-shaped curve that created rivulets in his skin. Others, ones he'd pirated from the art teacher, were straighter and more deadly. Needless to say, the art teacher had noticed their absence. He just hadn't noticed Timmy stealing them from the art supply room or the teacher's private office.

Timmy recalled the first time he'd cut. It'd been by accident, making a sandwich for lunch (since neither godparent answered his summons). It hadn't been a deep cut, but the blood flow and its simultaneous emotional release, improved his mood. He could hurt himself. He could control the pain. Unlike the recent past and its stigma, he could manipulate his physical state. If he wanted to maim himself, no one would stop him.

It wasn't like anyone noticed, either. The cuts on his wrists were concealed easily thanks to the time of year. People expected others to wear long sleeved shirts. No one saw the slashes, the bruises, or anything else Timmy had done to himself. And, in his heart of hearts, Timmy wasn't certain anyone particularly cared, either.

Biting his lip, he suppressed the misery that arose at the sentiment. Wanda had proved it herself today. Cosmo and Wanda hated him. They wouldn't concern themselves if he accidentally slit his wrists. It'd give them one less thing to argue about. And then they could return to Fairy World and their nightmare would be over, for the most part.

Yet, in the back of his mind, something argued against that. It was that something that frequently prevented Timmy from going overboard and actually attempting suicide. It was the frail, fragile telepathy link Timmy had to Wanda through his connection with Tootie. It warned him that Wanda _would_ care if Timmy killed himself. She might even care that Timmy was cutting himself, but what she didn't know couldn't hurt her.

Unless it did, but that was another story entirely.

Opening the cabinet, he surveyed his collection. He selected one box, slid it off the shelf, and perched atop the toilet. This particular razor cut linoleum mats and little else. It was fairly dull, but it'd produce a decent cut. Timmy had a certain sentimental attachment to it. It was the first blade he'd used to cut himself.

He fingered it lovingly and was about to extract the blade from its case when an unwanted intruder spoke into his mind.

((What are you doing?)) The Other snapped, prompting Timmy to drop the blade in surprise. Timmy's eyes narrowed and he glared at the wall, since he couldn't fixate his eyes upon the true source of his irritation. Who gave The Other permission to speak whenever he so chose? He was interrupting, damn it.

((Why do you want to know?)) Timmy countered and retrieved the blade. He accidentally sliced his finger and winced, shaking it and then finally grinning. Unfortunately, slashing his fingers to ribbons would _not_ go unnoticed. Thus, seizing the blade by its handle, he ignored Lorenzo and dug it into his skin. Blood, beautiful blood, arched from his wrist, down his arm, and onto the floor. He was free. So free.

((_What_ are you doing?)) The Other's concern kicked up a notch and Timmy grinned, no longer troubled by his presence. Would one suffice for tonight? Or should he do two? Glancing at the item, he slid it across his wrist below the first incision. Dear God, this was heaven. The euphoria it produced caused Timmy to ease off the toilet seat and onto the floor. He was on cloud nine.

((Why are you hurting yourself?)) The Other spat and Timmy lifted his head. Hurting himself? Well, yes, technically he was. But this wasn't pain. This was power. This was a high he couldn't get anywhere else. This lifted his spirits, elevated his soul, and removed the horrible feelings of guilt and remorse. And the knowledge that if Cosmo and Wanda had their druthers, he'd be living on the street.

He ought to strike back while the iron was hot. He ought to confront Lorenzo and tear his head off for inebriating him. But he was too pleased right now. He'd coast the pleasure until it faded into oblivion. And then, maybe, he'd go watch "It's a Wonderful Life" with Cosmo, Wanda, and Tootie.  
**

* * *

**

"Wanda," Tootie said suddenly while the faeries prepared snacks before the movie. "How can you tell if your soul mate is hurting himself?"

"Hmm?" Wanda replied, distracted by Cosmo attempting to squirrel away the cheese and eat it behind her back. She held up her wand; it shone and the cheese disappeared from the guilty party's hands and back into the bowl where it belonged. He grinned sheepishly and she rolled her eyes.

"I think..." she halted herself and swallowed hard. Her wrists itched. And, beyond that, there was the indefinable sensation that something was very wrong with Timmy.

"I don't know," Tootie finished. She didn't. The feelings she received from Timmy were vague at best. They hadn't been together long enough to strength their bond and the mistrust she harbored toward him only harmed that. Besides, if something was wrong with Timmy, was it her prerogative to mention it? Timmy was the one suffering. And if he told Cosmo and Wanda he was hurting himself, she knew they'd care enough to listen. Anger and mistrust aside, they loved him. She wished he'd realize that.

"Whee!" Cosmo cried, stringing together a popcorn necklace and brandishing it in front of Wanda. "Junk food!"

Tootie's stomach flip flopped. She received happiness through Timmy now, but it still turned her stomach. It was happiness with malevolence inherent. It was joy for the wrong reasons and Tootie's wrist itched all the more for it. What was Timmy doing to himself?

"You don't think Timmy's hurting himself, do you?" Wanda said sharply and Cosmo, whipping the popcorn necklace through the air, stopped hastily. Popcorn kernels flew onto the floor.

"I...don't know," Tootie answered truthfully and Wanda sighed. She glanced at the ceiling as if, with her naked eye, she could see Timmy upstairs.

"Why would he do that?" Cosmo asked and there was an odd edge to his voice. Cosmo was worried. If this were different circumstances, Tootie would have smirked. Cosmo _did_ care. He just never displayed it. He'd rather make Timmy think he hated him than admit that, beneath the barrier Timmy had fostered between himself and his godparents, Cosmo was anxious. Maybe he thought it a sign of weakness that Cosmo would care about his godson regardless of what he'd nearly done.

"I don't know!" Tootie snapped, anxiety squirming her insides. She started toward the stairs only to find Timmy, beaming, walking down. His expression didn't improve her mood. Rather, it detracted further. The smile was eerie and unnatural.

"What's going on?" Timmy inquired and Tootie glanced away. She didn't like this. She didn't know what 'this' was, but she didn't like it. Timmy was too happy.

"Nothing," Tootie lied. "Nothing at all."  
**

* * *

**

During their viewing, Wanda settled into Timmy's lap. Cosmo glared and berated her via telepathy for that, but Wanda wanted to have a better look at Timmy. Tootie's words disquieted her. She needed to ensure her godson's health and longevity. After all, he'd undergone an ordeal himself recently.

"Sweetie?" Wanda murmured so as to not disturb Tootie and Cosmo, the latter of whom was sitting in the former's lap and stealing her popcorn. Wanda trembled, frightened despite herself. She was wary of this proximity to Timmy and painfully aware of how quickly he could harm her in her current position.

"Wanda?" Timmy murmured back and glanced down at her. His head rested on her swirly pink hair.

"You're _not_ hurting yourself, are you?"

Timmy jumped, grin fading, and stared at her. He'd paled slightly, but due to the darkness of the room, she couldn't tell. There was a tense moment before Timmy spoke again.

"Why would you think that?" Timmy asked cautiously and Wanda's stomach knotted. That was an odd answer for someone who was innocent.

"Please, Timmy, don't do anything stupid," she half whispered, half pleaded. Was it just her or did Timmy's eyes dart about the room?

"I..." Timmy paused and gulped. Her piercing pink eyes sought his cerulean blue and he glanced at the TV rather than meeting her gaze.

"I won't."


	4. Mmm, Coal

Chapter Four: Mmm, Coal

Lorenzo DiMedici was not a happy elf. In fact, he loathed elves, but that was beside the point. Donning sharpened ears, altering his facial structure, and reducing his height infuriated him. Elves were an insult to faerie kind. They believed themselves to be the most beautiful, artistic, and mysterious of the fey. Lorenzo considered them the most annoying. The only good thing about them was their height made them easy to punt.

However, he needed money and since Cosmo and Wanda weren't likely to conjure presents for Timmy, that meant he and his 'company' would end up in the mall. Therefore, it was befitting to someone desperate to acquire a job as an elf and survey the scene. He'd already noticed something rather interesting in his questing. Gary, whom The Other hadn't known possessed a body beyond Timmy's, wandered about the toy store. Lorenzo had yet to approach him, since this form was not conducive to anyone taking him remotely seriously. Honestly, how can you take a small, red haired elf dressed in "Christmas cheer" seriously?

Yes, he'd dyed his hair. He hated it himself, since it further removed him from Timmy. Timmy's brilliant chestnut locks coinciding with Lorenzo's linked them. Sans it, Lorenzo was just an extraneous part of Timmy. A waste. And if there was anything Lorenzo disliked, it was being thought of as useless.

Two hours had passed into his first shift and The Other grew restless. Pacing back and forth, he watched Gary out of the corner of his eye. He was certain Gary had noticed him, though he'd probably written him off. Still, he and Gary had the same host, so part of Gary had to recognize Lorenzo. In fact, it was this part that led Gary to cease his aimless search and arrive at "Santa's Workshop", situated in the middle of the third floor.

"What the hell are you doin' here?" Gary snapped and Lorenzo smirked. He mock bowed, tipping his hat to Gary, and then straightened. His blue eyes glinted maliciously.

"Have you come to see Santa Claus, little boy?" Lorenzo replied, cursing his high pitched voice. God, he hated elves. He wanted to fling them into a fast moving river and drown them. Or watch as their brains smashed into sharp rocks and splattered everywhere. If it was in a river, there'd be no gore to clean. Mmm. Not a bad idea. Perhaps he ought to try it with a few irritations resembling elves. Like Cosmo and Wanda.

"I know who you are," Gary snapped, low and menacing. He yanked the fake beard off Lorenzo's head. Lorenzo glowered in response.

"You're not foolin' anyone."

"With a mouth like that, Santa's going to give you coal in your stocking," Lorenzo replied, behaving as though there was nothing unusual transpiring. Not drawing attention to himself was key, since he didn't want to risk getting the other 'elves' involved in this. Darkness knew the debacle that could incite.

"Or he'll put it somewhere else," The Other continued under his breath.

"You're not an elf," Gary snapped and The Other smirked.

"By George, the boy isn't as brain dead as his sire," Lorenzo replied. "It's a Christmas miracle."

"I don't see Timmy. Where are you hiding him?" Gary snapped and Lorenzo's smirk broadened. Oh, the delicious replies he could give to that one. His mind whirled with the possibilities. His smirk transformed into a grin and he wrapped an arm around Gary. Gary quickly disposed of it and shoved Lorenzo away. Nonetheless, Lor's grin remained. This was one of the first few games he'd gotten to play in a while. He missed them.

"Where the son don't shine and, if you press hard enough, you can get coal," Lorenzo said and, after a moment, Gary's expression darkened. Lorenzo snickered.

Gary glanced at the workshop, then the other elves, and then, finally, back at Lorenzo. Judging by the way the raven haired boy's eyes lingered on the construct, he assumed Timmy to be nestled within. Oh, how Lorenzo wished it were true. Then he'd have no reason to don this ridiculous costume and acquire human money. Of course, he'd no need of money at all if he had what he truly wanted for Christmas- Timmy Turner wrapped in a bow and nothing else. He bit back a grin at the prospect.

"I'm watchin' you," Gary said after a moment's pause and narrowed his eyes. Lorenzo scoffed, in no way perturbed by Gary's attempt at a threat. He glanced at the 'elves', one of whom beckoned to him, and he reluctantly left the imaginary boy to glare at his back as Lorenzo returned to his job. Hmph, human 'elves' were nothing more than midgets in costumes. The only creatures that ought to be that small were children. And even that was debatable.  
**

* * *

**

_Deeper, deeper..." Lorenzo intoned, his thin yet powerful fingers gliding through the air like aiding Timmy in a symphony. Timmy pivoted, the transistor in his hand altering into a long, sharp sword that slashed through all obstacles. It sliced through the pink dummy like butter and, split into two, the pieces toppled to the floor. Lorenzo had yet to affix Cosmo's and Wanda's faces to their practices. He feared Timmy was not emotionally detached enough yet to disembowel figures that spoke and appeared to be his fairy godparents._

_"Yes," The Other said and grinned, tousling his charge's hair. Timmy glanced at the dummy he'd slashed. It was but a hollow victory. For a second, he swore he saw pink eyes staring back at him but, in that instant in which he determined to whom they belonged, they disappeared into the woodwork. Maybe it had been a trick of the light._

_Lorenzo had been speaking, apparently, and Timmy had ignored him to gaze at the space in which Wanda had occupied. Snapping his fingers, he brought Timmy's attention to the here and now and then proceeded to slap Timmy for disregarding him in the first place. Timmy's hand flew to his smarting cheek and Lorenzo slapped him again, to prove that those in pain should never display it and risk vulnerability to their enemy. There was, Timmy discovered, a lot to learn about the art of murder._

_"Fairy blood sparkles, you know," Lorenzo remarked suddenly and Timmy blinked, surprised by the subject change. Seizing the transistor from his apprentice's hands, Lorenzo altered its structure by mere thought to an image of Wanda dead and bloodied. Timmy paled, then reminded himself that if Wanda was dead, he would have his mother back. Still, the way Lorenzo imagined Wanda decimated nauseated him._

_Blood spilled from a severed neck and pooled around the pink haired faerie in the projection. In her right hand, her fingers brushed her wand and, in her left, a lock of green hair. Timmy wasn't certain the point Lorenzo wished to establish with Cosmo's hair in Wanda's hand, but since this wasn't the point of the lesson, he held his tongue. Speaking out and asking stupid questions around Lorenzo would result in far more than a slap across the face. If he was lucky, he'd escape without noticeable bruises and cuts._

_Her pink eyes were open and unseeing, staring at a world beyond this one. Timmy's stomach churned as Lorenzo prodded the very real looking projection and punched Wanda's dismembered head clear off its shoulders. It fell onto the floor and, from the stump, more red blood glittered. Timmy suppressed the urge to vomit._

_"When you murder Cosmo and Wanda, bring me their heads," Lorenzo said and kicked the projection's head across the room. It smacked into the artillery and rolled over, so its unseeing eyes peered at Timmy. His legs buckled._

_"But take time to note the blood as it pours from their corpses. Watch it sparkle as the creature to whom it belongs fades into oblivion. Faerie blood, my dear Timmy, is a very magical thing. Of course, the faeries have no use for it once it's drained from their bodies, but it is the piece de la resistance, the final touch to a beautiful event."_

_Timmy stumbled backwards and swallowed hard. His head was reeling and he thought he might be sick. How could anyone find that appealing? More important, how could anyone stomach that?_

_Lorenzo noticed Timmy's pallor and glared. The transistor altered into a large, wooden sword that Lorenzo used to slam into Timmy's back. Timmy screamed, not expecting the attack or its subsequent one, whacking him across the face. His eyes watered and his cheeks stung. Unfortunately, The Other perceived Timmy's eyes watering as crying and knocked his feet out from under him. Timmy landed hard on his rear and the next blow careened into his side and sent him sprawling across the rubber gym mat. Timmy tumbled onto his front and panted, body throbbing from the abuse._

_Stepping on Timmy's back, Lorenzo pressed a foot into the center until Timmy howled, unable to tolerate it. After a minute longer, he stepped off and scrutinized his sire, panting and beaten on the floor._

_"Get up," The Other commanded and Timmy's head slammed into the mat. There was a pause and then, Lorenzo kicked Timmy onto his back. Timmy's cerulean eyes were dazed and he saw stars. That yellow overhead light resembled Cindy Vortex's hair...and the temper of the person who had beaten him resembled Cindy even more...but...why would Cindy be here?_

_"Get up!" Lorenzo growled. Wow, Cindy's voice had gotten a lot more masculine since he'd last seen her. And she'd grown a bit, too. Not to mention changed her outfit...and acquired a sword...Neutron'd better be careful..._

_"I am not that wretched blonde bitch!" And now she was into self denial._

_His vision cleared and his cheeks burned. How on earth could he have mistaken The Other for Cindy Vortex? For one thing, Lorenzo was a tad more violent than Cindy. For another, Cindy didn't have a package. That he knew about. With her aggression, it could exist. And, if that were true and Vicky shared the same trait, it would explain a few things._

_Lorenzo, perplexed, stared back at him. "I beg your pardon?"_

_Timmy's embarrassment headed into overdrive. He'd just been staring at Lorenzo's groin for the past few minutes. Well, that was an unpleasant image Timmy would like to be rid of very soon. Just like the image of Cindy and Jimmy making out in Cindy's lab when he'd chosen to visit at the wrong time. Ugh. Just ugh. Talk about cliched._

_And he was doing it again. Sufficiently humiliated, Timmy forced himself to his feet and stared in the opposite direction. Lorenzo, to his astonishment, was doing the same thing. This was awkward._

_"So, um, same time tomorrow?" Lorenzo offered at long last and Timmy noted mutely._

_And that was the end of that. _  
**

* * *

**

"UGH!" Timmy screamed and bolted upright in bed. A pair of pink eyes dissipated into the night, though he could have sworn he heard a masculine snicker.

((What's going on?)) Tootie sent, fretful. ((What's wrong?))

((I'm going to need to take a cold shower with my clothes on. Ugh, ugh, ugh. Goddamn it.))

Somehow, after brutal torture, the image of Lorenzo's crotch in his head was so much worse.


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Note: Apologies for not updating on time, my back was killing me on Monday and I couldn't sit up to be online. I hope you appreciate my update and I thank you all for reading and reviewing. And those of you who are reading and not reviewing, or making your opinion know- why not? :P Come on, I don't bite without provocation.

Chapter Five: Alienation

He scrubbed liberally, though when he did, he opened up the scab that had formed from last night's cutting. Timmy frowned and watched the blood trickle down his arm and join the water. Staring at it made him want to cut himself again. Blood was beautiful. The Other was right about that. Blood was his only release.

He pushed back the shower curtains and prepared to step out of the shower when he heard Vicky screeching. Years of experience brought him back behind the shower curtain where he hopefully would be safe. It was on the tip of his tongue to wish Cosmo and Wanda could help him out, but he didn't need their help. His eyes fell on the cuts on his arms. Wanda would notice that.

"I don't _care _what happened! I don't want you anywhere near him!" Vicky screamed. Timmy scoffed. He was doomed to be the main topic no matter who spoke. The curtain was still open and he looked at the medicine cabinet. One cut before breakfast wouldn't be too bad. He already had a long sleeved shirt picked out to hide it.

"You don't understand!" Tootie screeched back. Timmy shoved aside the curtain and stood, dripping, in front of the cabinet. He yanked open the door and stared hungrily at the razors. As he retrieved one and caressed its edge with his finger, he felt Tootie turn and stare at the door.

"Timmy?" she called through the door. "What are you doing?"

"What does it matter what he's doing?" Vicky screamed. "Stop changing the subject!"

Timmy brought the blade arcing down next to the last slash. He dug it through his skin like it was linoleum and Tootie screamed. Her horror made him tremble and his fingers lost their grip on the razor. It tumbled to the floor and Timmy immediately fell to the tiles to locate it. Tootie's heartbeat inside his head thundered and he choked on the wave of emotions that she transmitted.

"Timmy Turner!" she shrieked. "What are you _doing _in there?"

She slammed her shoulder into the door and it budged a few inches. Timmy swallowed hard and stared at his bleeding arm. He had narrowly missed cutting an important vein. If Tootie hadn't distracted him, he might have accidentally killed himself. He should feel worse for that.

((Timmy...Timmy...)) her thought speech was rushed, too, like she was out of a mental breath. He felt her panic swell inside of him and he struggled to gain his breath too.

"Stop changing the subject!" Vicky snarled. "I don't care about the twerp!"

_No one does_, Timmy thought, but he was lying to himself. He could still feel Tootie's emotions and they overrode his own. If he wasn't careful, she'd figure out what he was doing here. Then she'd tell Wanda. And Cosmo would think that he was practicing on himself before he killed his godparents or something ridiculous like that. They'd blame him again.

"He's...hurting himself," Tootie whimpered and Timmy shook his head. No, that was too close to the truth. And damn it all, he couldn't lie in telepathy.

"_So_? He deserves to," Vicky shot back. "He almost killed Cosmo and Wanda, his horrible creature did what it did to me, and nearly killed you too. It's all his fault. Everything is his fault."

"That's not true!" Tootie snapped.

((Yes, it is,)) Timmy sent. He shut off the water and toweled himself off. His wrist bled steadily and he wished he could feel the high instead of Tootie.

((Timmy...please tell me that you're not hurting yourself. Please. I need to hear it that you'd never be stupid enough to hurt yourself on purpose,)) Tootie said. Timmy swallowed hard.

"Do you really have any faith in him?" Vicky snapped. "After the way he's treated you? He doesn't deserve you."

((_Timmy_...)) Tootie snapped. His stomach lurched. Not speaking wasn't going to work here.

"I'm all he's got," Tootie said aloud. Timmy dried himself off and suppressed a groan. The cut was still bleeding, though it was slowly ebbing. He snatched a band aid from another cabinet, the one adjacent to his weapons, and concealed the wound. After a second thought, he found another, longer bandage and covered his whole arm. Just in case anything slipped.

Once that was finished, he redressed and unlocked the door. The instant he did, Tootie flung the door open. It whacked him in the face and he groaned. She grabbed his sleeve and pushed it back, but not before Vicky grabbed her little sister and hauled her backward. The sleeve fell out of Tootie's hands and Vicky knelt lower to snarl in Tootie's face.

"Stay away from him. That's my final offer," Vicky snapped. "Don't touch him. Don't talk to him. Don't even do that weird thing that you do when your eyes go unfocused and you're mouthing something."

((Timmy-)) Tootie started again and Timmy scoffed.

((You heard her. Don't do that weird thing when your eyes go unfocused and you're mouthing something,)) Timmy snapped mentally. He rubbed his arm where he had cut himself today. Gods, that was close.  
**

* * *

**

"I made breakfast," Wanda announced when Timmy walked down the stairs. She smiled weakly at her godson and Cosmo growled. The green haired faerie was reading a human newspaper...upside down. Wanda, wearing a chef's hat and an apron that said "kiss me if you're fey", righted the newspaper in his hands.

"But not for you," Cosmo snapped at his godson. Timmy didn't look at either of them. He headed for the cereal cabinet and retrieved a sugary treat. Setting that on the table, he rummaged for everything else. The smell of a cheesy omelet filled the air, but Timmy seemed unaffected. Wanda looked at her husband, who shrugged, unapologetic.

"You can have some if you want," she offered weakly. Timmy looked at her and, unsettled, she looked away.

"No, he can't," Cosmo snapped. "Murderers don't get to eat unfertilized chickens with cheese."

"Cosmo," Wanda growled and Cosmo shrugged.

((That's what he is. Or would have been if we hadn't intervened,)) Cosmo sent and Wanda sighed. An argument on the first floor prompted her to look away from her troubled godchild to where Tootie and Vicky were snapping at each other again. Wanda groaned.

"Suddenly," Timmy said and shoved the bowl away. "I'm not hungry."

"Sweetie, about yesterday-" Wanda said and Cosmo glared at her. His anger toward Timmy burned hot, a little ball of fury in her chest. If she focused on it, she would become angry too. That was the way their bond worked, unfortunately.

"I know you meant what you said," Timmy said, sullen. "You hate me. Vicky hates me. Everyone hates me."

"Sport, to be fair, Vicky has always hated you," Wanda said softly. "That really hasn't changed."

Timmy stared at her and swallowed hard. There were tears in his eyes and Wanda felt guilt twinned with Cosmo's fury. Cosmo's anger twanged and she felt the beginnings of guilt enter him too. He would never admit it, though.

"_You _never hated me before," Timmy said to Wanda. "Neither did _you_."

_What a sordid mess_, Wanda thought. And she hadn't the faintest clue how to pick up the pieces, either. If Cosmo had his druthers, she wouldn't.

"Timmy," Wanda started carefully and put down her spatula. She hovered in the air above his shoulder and Cosmo glared, staying where he was. Wanda's eyes trailed to the line of bandages beneath Timmy's sleeve. She remembered what Tootie had said last night and swallowed hard.

"I know it's true. Don't deny it. You don't want to be my godparents. Who would want to godchild a kid they think is going to kill them?" Timmy said. Wanda thought of hugging Timmy, but sensed Cosmo's immediate disapproval.

"Can't we handle one problem at a time?" Wanda said softly. "We don't hate you, sport."

"But you don't want to be my godparents anymore, either," Timmy said. "You don't trust me."

"Of course we don't! You tried to kill us, for Jorgen's sake! Why _would _we trust you? We're not stupid!" Cosmo snapped.

"Speak for yourself," Wanda said coldly and Timmy pushed away from the table. He headed toward the kitchen doorway as Vicky and Tootie entered. They penned him in and he was forced to remain where he was, but not happily. Vicky glared heatedly at him.

"Like I said," Timmy said. "You hate me."

"Yes, I do," Vicky snapped.

"Stay out of this," Timmy replied dully and she scoffed.

"_I _don't hate you," Tootie said and stood nearby, but not touching him. Wanda massaged her temples. Mornings at the formerly Turner household always gave her a headache.  
**

* * *

**

Veronica loved shopping, especially at Trixie's side. She doted on any attention Trixie gave her and, since Timmy had broken off his weird thing with her best friend, Veronica got to see Trixie more and more often. Sometimes, she wasn't sure that was such a great thing, however. Trixie had a tendency to run at the mouth and Veronica had a tendency not to care.

Still, Veronica's heart skipped a beat whenever she saw Trixie in a cute outfit or Trixie squealed her name. She didn't want to think about what that could mean. She really didn't. She'd rather live in blissful ignorance.

"...I swear, the principal's hiding something," Trixie said and Veronica blinked. Speaking of the devil, Mr. DeMedici seemed to be watching them from a cafe across the hall. She blinked and the image was gone, replaced by a short red haired man in the same seat.

"I think he had a thing for Timmy," Trixie said and giggled. "Isn't that sick?"

"Yeah..." Veronica trailed off and blinked. For some odd reason, the word 'glamour' came to mind.

"I mean, I don't remember what I did for the last few months, but think about it. It'd be so creepy. Child molester central," Trixie said and twirled around. She beamed at a few fans and then stopped, bags slapping her sides. Veronica's gut tightened.

"Hey, look, a Disney store!" Trixie said and pointed, as if it wasn't completely obvious by the huge "Disney Store" sign. "Let's see if they have Kuzco as a llama!"

Veronica cast one last look at the bizarre man sitting at the cafe before heading into a cheap commercial tie in brought to you by the author. She suspected something sinister about the red haired man, like she had with Mr. DeMedici when he assumed control of Dimmsdale Junior High. And, like the sinister feeling she had had before, she couldn't prove it. Not unless Trixie was suddenly telling the truth for once in her short life.  
**

* * *

**

Lorenzo scowled as Veronica went on her merry way. He was partial to Yzma himself, but that was beside the point. He didn't like how Veronica had seen through his disguise. He knew the girl would mean nothing in the long run, but it was still disconcerting to know that a few humans had enough fey blood to tell the difference. He would have to be careful...or he could just kill her.

Whichever appealed to him most at the moment.


	6. Never Alone

Chapter Six: Never Alone

"So, did you get any homework?" Tootie asked and pressed her math textbook and a three ring binder to her chest. Timmy was examining his left arm and traced something along the skin. He jumped when Tootie entered his room and scowled at her. The sleeve flopped back.

"I didn't ask you to come in," Timmy snapped and Tootie hugged the books tighter. She stepped further in, despite Timmy's lack of an invitation.

"Timmy, what's going on?" Tootie said and cocked an eyebrow. She scrutinized his arm and he cringed, hugging himself.

"Nothing," Timmy said and forced a smile. It didn't reach his eyes and Tootie advanced to the bed. She grabbed his sleeve and he pushed her away. Undeterred, she yanked him back and was about to investigate when firecrackers sounded from inside the house.

The shock brought Tootie back a few feet and Timmy's mouth fell agape. The two exchanged a look before unanimously, silently deciding to investigate. They fled Timmy's room, scurried down the steps, and discovered a black cloud in the living room. There were bits of green plastered to the wall and they reassembled. Tootie and Timmy coughed and pressed their sleeves against their mouths. Tootie craned to see what it was Timmy had been tracing, but he slid away.

"Cosmo!" Wanda snapped and the green bits reformed into a familiar faerie. He grinned sheepishly at his wife. Wanda did not smile back. With her hands on her hips, she glared daggers at her husband. Without the smoke befouling the air, Timmy and Tootie saw that the living room furniture was wrecked. The sofa was scattered throughout the room, the fireplace crackled merrily, and the TV was nothing but a smoking stump. The paintings on the wall were soot on the floor.

"What were you _thinking_, setting off an explosive (that was you) in the middle of a human house?" Wanda snapped and waggled a wand at him.

"It was too quiet," Cosmo complained and swiveled around to glare at Timmy. "Quiet means secret evil plans."

Tootie should have defended Timmy, but she still didn't understand what was up with his arm. Timmy shrugged, turning back up the stairs and walking out of the room. Wanda sighed, looking at Timmy's back, Tootie, and then Cosmo. She waved her wand and the rubbish recreated itself, as good as new.

"That's still no reason to detonate yourself," Wanda said, but she wasn't angry anymore. Weary, more like. Tootie swallowed hard and looked up the stairs. Timmy was brooding and his emotions distantly reached her, as if passing through a long wind tunnel. She wanted to pry and figure out what was bothering Timmy, but, by the same token, a voice in the back of her mind was suspicious. Gods, she couldn't be like Cosmo and Wanda and not trust Timmy at all, could she?  
**

* * *

**

((Timmy...)) Lorenzo called and Timmy, who had curled into a ball on his bed, jumped.

((Get out of my head,)) Timmy snapped and pushed him away. His thoughts traveled along the dark path they had started before The Other intruded.

Maybe Cosmo had meant to explode on _him _and had missed. Cosmo hated him now, after all. They would be better off being someone else's godparents. Timmy couldn't even wish away his mistakes because the largest one was a part of him. And he had brought it upon himself, too.

((Oh, honestly,)) The Other replied. ((When you brood and behave so churlish, you bore me.))

((What's-)) Timmy stopped himself. ((Never mind. Get out means get out.))

((But, Timmy, dear, you're already had me. Time and time again. 'He' will be loved,)) The Other replied and laughed inside Timmy's head. Timmy shuddered and hugged his knees to his chest. He gritted his teeth and glared at nothing.

((Shut. Up.)) Timmy retorted.

((Funny, that wasn't what you were saying before. And Timmy, have we forgotten our manners? It's 'please be quiet' and 'please leave me alone'. Honestly, a month with those garish creatures you call godparents and you lose all semblance of humanity.))

((You wanted me to kill them,)) Timmy snapped. ((What do you call _that_?))

((A gift from above,)) Lorenzo retorted. ((Now, what are you doing brooding? And have you been hurting yourself on _purpose_? Must you cling to every fad? Timmy Turner, boy emo really has a horrendous ring to it.))

Timmy growled and, bereft of a proper reply, he flung anger in waves at The Other. It was the closest he could come to a mental attack and The Other scoffed, withdrawing for now. It was like having a friend inside your mind who carves it up with razor blades. Timmy eyed his sleeves and swallowed hard. Speaking of razors, Tootie was getting rather inquisitive.

He remembered the days when a quick fix fixed everything. Now it changed nothing. He couldn't wish Lorenzo away and even if he forgot the past, The Other would remind him. If he wished for a time scooter to repair the past, Cosmo wouldn't grant it anyway. Cosmo and Wanda hated him. And it was his fault.

Timmy rubbed the corners of his eyes. He gulped and willed away the tears. If he wasn't careful, he really would fit that stereotype. Maybe he could force himself into Christmas cheer. T'was the season, after all. And if he thought about trees, presents, and chocolate, maybe the last two months could melt away.

Yet as he pushed off the bed, he sensed The Other lurking in the back of his mind and knew that the denial wouldn't last.  
**

* * *

**

"I know you're angry with Timmy and suspicious, but you can't go around exploding yourself," Wanda said. The two were back in Timmy's former tree house, now their own. Thanks to Cosmo leaving a window open, it was now chilly. Wanda shivered, but did not amend the problem. There were other matters at hand.

"Why not?" Cosmo retorted. "It was fun. Besides, it got his attention."

Wanda exhaled slowly, willing herself not to grow angry. She folded her arms across her chest. "Of course it did. He's a twelve year old boy. And it was an explosion _inside_ his house."

"Exactly," Cosmo said. "What's the problem?"

"You could have hurt him," Wanda snapped and Cosmo glared, eyes narrowing.

"So? He could have hurt _us_," Cosmo said. "Did he care then? No. Do I care now? No-"

"Yes, you do," Wanda said and sighed. "I fear Tootie is right, that Timmy has been up to something unpleasant."

"Like what? Swearing his allegiance to The Other?" Cosmo snapped.

"I don't know," Wanda said and stared through the window at Timmy's room.

"He's fine," Cosmo said and Wanda turned away to stare at Cosmo.

((Do you really believe that?)) she sent and drifted to the bed. She waved her wand and the window shut. The green curtains ceased billowing in the unpleasant breeze and she hugged a pink pillow to her chest. Her swirly pink hair dangled in front of her eyes and she blew it back.

Cosmo didn't reply. He drifted in front of the window and stared at Timmy's room too.

((Aren't you at least a _little _worried?)) Wanda said and rolled onto her side.

"No," Cosmo said bluntly. "He can handle it himself."

((Then answer me in telepathy,)) Wanda said. ((If you're so confident that Timmy is fine, tell me mind to mind.))

Cosmo had no answer for her. She wished she could say she found that comforting.

* * *

Timmy awoke from another nightmare and panted. Sweat trickled down the back of his neck and soaked his hair. He hugged himself and moaned; his eyes scanned his dark bedroom like it concealed Lorenzo. No amount of hugging himself would remove the vulnerability or strike the sheer terror the memories brought back. His teeth chattered and he willed himself to calm down. The last thing he needed was to bring Tootie in here.

((You mean to say you do not miss our play dates?)) Lorenzo called and Timmy grabbed the pillow in which to scream. His shoulders shook.

((Get out of my head!)) Timmy snapped.

((Ah, but it was my head first. And such glorious head it was, too,)) The Other teased. Timmy flushed and then whimpered again. His eyes widened and he peered into the darkness anxiously. He almost felt Lorenzo near, hovering just out of reach but waiting for the chance to strike. Timmy wasn't befuddled this time. That worsened matters.

Timmy attempted to bowl Lorenzo over with mental attacks, but the nightmare had drained him. The Other slid over his memories, prodding the ones that tormented Timmy the most and ignoring others. He rifled through Timmy's mind like it belonged to someone else and Timmy cringed, striking blindly to protect his privacy. Yet, like intimacy, it was stolen from him before he had a chance to say 'boo'.

((Disappointing, how disappointing,)) Lorenzo said and then disapproval swarmed on Timmy like angry locusts. It buzzed around in his brain and Timmy threw his hands to his head to stop it. The disapproval burned in the back of his throat too and weakened him further. By inadvertently letting him in further than he had earlier, he submitted more control to The Other...

((It could be like we were never apart at all,)) The Other said, finishing Timmy's thought. ((Although I must say, I never permitted you to harm yourself on purpose before. I see no point in it. Unless, of course, you have another explanation for these cuts that I gathered from your memories.))

Timmy froze. His train of thought not only derailed, it exploded. His mouth fell agape and he stumbled, not for the words, but to say anything at all. He felt utterly betrayed by a part of himself that had abused the crap out of him. Worse than that, The Other knew his secret. No one knew. Secrets that Timmy held were safe from everyone. Timmy hadn't informed everyone about Lorenzo's actions during Timmy's time at the mansion. It poisoned Timmy, but it made it safe for him too, because if Cosmo found out, he'd find some way to blame him.

And now...Timmy gulped. He had no words. The Other tutted.

((There are easier ways to kill oneself than slashing wrists,)) The Other said and then, like that, vanished from his mind. Timmy's mouth opened and closed. His breath issued in short gasps and he flung the covers aside. Immediately, he knew what he had to do. The answer to his problems lay in the medicine cabinet. It had worked before. It would work again.

He thrust open the door to find Tootie on the other side. She stared at him and blinked furiously- her glasses were missing.

"Are you okay? I thought I heard you screaming," she said and he shook his head. His sleeve had rolled back in his sleep and he shoved it down to conceal the bandage. Tootie's eyes followed his movement and he smiled weakly at her. His heart hammered in his chest. The Other knew. Tootie could find out if Timmy failed to protect his secrets more closely. He backed away and darted into the bathroom.

((I didn't know screaming entailed a bathroom visit,)) Tootie said sarcastically and then her voice, like The Other's presence, withdrew from his mind. He sensed her sleepily head back to bed and then waited a few minutes for her to stumble under the sheets, close her eyes, and fall back asleep. It was a good thing Tootie fell asleep easily.

Timmy inhaled shakily and his hands trembled when he opened the cabinet doors. The metal box beckoned; its white paint had chipped off, bit by bit, and it had rusted. It was perfect, in Timmy's eyes. No one would guess what it contained and if they found out...well, that would not be a problem. No one would discover this. No one would think Timmy Turner cut himself. Timmy smiled. No one had the faintest clue, besides The Other, who really didn't count.

He removed the box and caressed its edges like a lover. Gently, he lifted the box's lid and eyed the razors. Not all of them had blood on them yet and he smiled. He gripped one of the virgin ones with his index and thumb and deposited the rest atop the counter. His mother had once clipped coupons in the comfort of her own home here.

Unlike the other razors, this one was not a linoleum cutter. It was a straight edge razor, a variety he tended to avoid because he preferred what he had previously used. Nonetheless, he guided it along the familiar path and sliced open his left arm. The cut was thin, but deep. Timmy gasped at the pain and then the rush. Blood pounded and trickled down his arm and wrist. He straddled the toilet so his bloody arm could drip into the bathtub and grinned, watching the droplets splash against the yellow mat.

Life hummed when he cut himself. Everything became more vivid, more everything. It was like he had ridden a roller coaster to find out he won a million dollars. It was power, control, and joy wrapped into one. It thrummed his life in one staccato blood splash after another. His right hand quivered when he brought it back to his left arm and slashed harder, opening a large gash in his arm.

This produced another gash...and an expletive. He pinched together his arm, hoping that it would mend quickly and not bring undue notice, but also hoping it would bleed all over the place and give him the adrenaline kick. He panted, sliding over so both arms bled into the tub. He eyed the shower head. If he wanted the water to flow...and mix with the blood...it'd be a cinch to kill himself. He got as far as rising to turn on the water when he sensed something in the back of his mind. It wasn't Lorenzo. It wasn't Tootie, distant though they were. It felt...more familiar than both of them, warm, and dully shocked.

((Timmy?)) Wanda sent and Timmy fell into the bathtub. He sputtered and cursed again. Blood soaked his pajama bottoms and he pinched the skin together again. He could lie and tell Wanda he cut himself doing something else. However, when Wanda saw all the other cuts and lacerations, she wouldn't believe him. She'd worry. Cosmo would use it against him. Timmy gritted his teeth and tried not to send the joy through their feeble link. It was hard, because while he worried, he also exalted in having mastered something Lorenzo couldn't touch or take away from him. Lorenzo could hurt him, yes, but Timmy could hurt himself. He had the power to make himself bleed and that was it, that was more than anything else in the world.

((I'm fine,)) Timmy said, giddy. ((Don't worry about me.))

((Are you sure? I can be there in a second...)) she said and he heard the hesitation in her mind voice.

((I'm fine! Better than fine! The best I've felt all day!)) he said and Wanda's puzzlement drifted through their connection. He also caught worry, not like she doubted his words, but she doubted the method that he'd used to reach this level of happiness.

((If you're sure...)) Wanda said and then the link fizzled out. Timmy grinned. Yes, he was sure. He was more than sure. He was positive. He grabbed a towel to stem the blood flow before it stained the tub. His eyes were wide and his heart raced. He could do anything now. He had the power.

Anything.  
**

* * *

**

"I'm worried," Wanda said to an otherwise quiet tree house. Cosmo slept soundly, snoring and drooling over his pillow. Wanda stared out onto the empty street.

"I think Timmy's up to something."

She looked at Cosmo and stroked his head. There was an inherent danger in seeing her godson alone at night, especially considering his enthusiastic reply over nothing she discerned. Yet, the happiness she detected ran with an undercurrent of something else and it bothered her. Timmy was up to something and if she knew what it was, she had the sense she wouldn't like it one bit.

She stared out through the window until her eyes drooped and she fell asleep. Even in her dreams, she worried.  
**

* * *

**

Remy Buxaplenty also stared through the window; although he knew what he sought would not be found there. Juandissimo had not returned and Remy pined for him. He admitted only to himself that he pined for him, but it wasn't like Remy was the only one in this damn mansion who pined for someone. Lorenzo pined for Timmy, but mentioning that was tantamount to actually attacking the boy. Remy shook his head. He never understood people's preferences for the commoners. He supposed it might kill off some of the stupider ones, but really.

Juandissimo was not a commoner. He was a _fairy_. He made Remy's heart do triple beats when he arrived and left him gasping, begging for him to stay. Juandissimo never stayed, though. He worked on some inane concoction that he refused to tell Remy anything about. Whenever Remy asked, Juandissimo brushed him off.

Remy knew that Turner's godparents had a history with his own godfather. He also knew that it probably had something to do with Wanda, although Remy couldn't care less. He wanted Juandissimo to stop loving Wanda and care for him the way he cared about that damn frach, as Lorenzo was apt to call her. The name, whatever it meant, fit. He hated Wanda for existing and stealing away Juandissimo's affections.

Even if Wanda had come first, Remy hated rivals. He didn't have the option of buying her out, either. Juandissimo was obsessed.

Remy shut his eyes and half reclined on the window seat. The cold air had chilled the windows and when he breathed, he saw his breath on the panes. One exhale, no Juandissimo. Two exhales, even less of a chance. He breathed slowly, steadily, and gave up counting around one hundred. He drifted off into a world where Wanda never existed and Juandissimo performed whatever Remy wanted when he wanted it.

And Turner was nowhere to be found.


	7. All Together Now

Chapter Seven: All Together Now

Trixie talked. And talked. And talked. Lorenzo wondered how he had tolerated her presence near Timmy's for so long without ripping her bloody head off. Tearing it off might only temporarily stem the flow; he had an unsettling image of a bodiless Trixie chewing his ear off. Lorenzo patted a large knife sheathed at his hip. Work got off at six.

Once his break had finished, Lorenzo returned to glaring at the shoppers and scaring a few children. They screamed and clutched their mothers' legs. He looked for Timmy in the meanwhile; he doubted Timmy would show, but the slim hope prevented him from leaving bloody little corpses with the elves. He wasn't wearing gloves. Prints had an irritating way of existing.

Lorenzo brooded in the pathetic little plastic elf house. It was green and only a midget or a child would fit inside. Lorenzo felt claustrophobic, like the plastic would collapse on him. Or maybe the power of his anger would send it crashing. Wouldn't that be a welcome alteration in routine?

The watch hands churned and he willed it to click 'six' so he could leave. Before he worried about Timmy's imaginary cretin or his beloved creator, he had to destroy Trixie. Her existence bothered Lorenzo and, in his logic, anyone whose existence bothered him deserved to die. It was simple and it eliminated many bothersome presences.

"You didn't leave," Gary said when Lorenzo exited that horrendous structure. He wore a green suit with a red hat like a fellow elf. Lorenzo was too incensed to care if Gary had traded his human status for a wannabe elf. He glared at the little monster and considered gutting him. Timmy might notice, however. He enjoyed popping up in his head from time to time, but murdering Gary might be less of a minor note and more of a giant flashing neon sign.

"As pleasant as this meeting is, I have other people to do," Lorenzo said. "And unless you move shortly, one of those people will be you."

"I thought you only did that to Timmy," Gary retorted. Lorenzo looked around and the glamour faded, returning him to his normal height, eyes, and hair.

"You misunderstand me," Lorenzo said. "Not surprising, considering your woeful intellect."

"What are you doin'?" Gary snarled.

"Oh, yes, Gary," Lorenzo said loftily. "Since you kindly asked me, I'm going to interrupt my murderous plotting and reveal to you my deepest, innermost plans in the hopes that you will eventually stop me. By acting like this, I shall restore my place in the 'hoary villain museum' and thereby lose any credibility in sequels."

Gary stared blankly at him and Lorenzo snorted.

"Why am I not surprised you didn't comprehend that?" Lorenzo said. He walked away and Gary tugged on his long black leather jacket.

"Stay away from Cos and Wan," Gary warned.

"Or what?" Lorenzo retorted. "I shall have to deal with your wrath? Don't make me laugh, Gary. You may ruin my homicidal mood."

"You ain't gettin' away that easily," Gary warned, but let him leave. Lorenzo shrugged off his idle threats. If he wanted to listen to idle threats, he would have returned to the tree house and entertained Cosmo.

The mall shoppers talked gaily and their amusement and pleasure angered him to no end. What was worse was that he had lost track of Trixie. Unlike Timmy or Gary, he had no means to track her by mental telepathy or proximity. She might have left and, in that case, he might have to slaughter her father too to prevent word from getting out.

He pelted down the hall and scanned the crowds for an Asian teenager and her blond friend. Blood pounded in his head and he almost missed them. He barreled into a shopper, shoved them into the crowd, and stopped. Veronica leaned against the wall in an alley leading to the restrooms. Lorenzo snorted and grasped the knife, but did not remove it.

She too was a witness. He might have to kill her too. This was not how he would have preferred to do it and, for that alone, he paused.

Veronica might scream and, in a mall full of shoppers, murdering her and now would be a very bad idea. Sure, Mr. Tang might be a potential witness and therefore, might have to be killed too, but he would be captured and apprehended long before he killed the Christmas rush. Grimacing, Lorenzo bowed out before Veronica realized how close she had been to being stabbed by an insane anti fairy.

* * *

The night that Lorenzo had anticipated killing Trixie, she wasn't home. Lorenzo had no idea where Veronica lived, but it didn't matter. The annoying little bitch had given him the slip and he had no way to rectify it. Moreover, he had no one to take it out on because Juandissimo had actually paid attention to his godson and neither of them was home. Timmy was at home, secure with Cosmo and Wanda. Lorenzo couldn't make a preemptive strike.

The Other balled his fists and punched the wall. He stood in the kitchen, where Mr. and Mrs. Turner's ghosts had appeared. The black refrigerator beside him hummed and he wanted to punch it too. There was no point in staying here. He had no prey and nothing to occupy him. Therefore, it was time to go out.

But where? He could not pester Timmy without being caught. Unless he enticed Timmy out, apart from the others...

Lorenzo looked at his wrists and frowned. Thankfully, he was not at the point where anything that harmed Timmy also hurt Lorenzo, but the self mutilation worried him. His sire might bleed himself to death and then where would that leave Lorenzo? If he really cared, he supposed he ought to alert Cosmo and Wanda, but why should he confer with the enemy? What good had they ever done him? They hadn't even the grace to die.

He hadn't realized he had left the house until he stood on the cold street corner with the wind blowing in his face. The chill awakened him, energized him, and he drew warmth from Timmy. Wherever Timmy was, he was indoors and wouldn't miss the surplus. And if he did, he could always whine via telepathy. Lorenzo didn't care. He might actually cherish the little pissant.

Snow fell in wet, thick flakes. It was dark and he trudged along, heedless of the flurries or the unlit spots. If he heard people, he blocked them out.

It took him several moments to acknowledge that he was heading for Timmy's house. Lorenzo smirked, querying whether it would be best to lure Timmy out directly or change his destination. It was easier in the past, when Timmy was less suspicious and more willing to believe Lorenzo might actually help him. Ah, well, no one stayed innocent forever.

Lorenzo permitted himself to stroll to Timmy's house. Once he reached it, he looked up at the cheap, electric lights burning behind the curtains. There was no warning cry, no one jumped at him, and the house's occupants never noticed him. He stood on the doorstep and stared at the doorbell. The absurdity of it made him laugh. He could sneak inside and wreak havoc and they would have no idea.

Actually, that sounded like fun. Rather than use the front entrance and be excessive, he crept to the basement and stared. He swore he heard Vicky screaming and he paused again. How much of a scene did he want?

Well, she was only one female. He ought to be able to take her, with enough pressure.

He headed down the stairs and, before opening the door, he removed his jacket. He wished he had chloroform on him. Perhaps he should have better thought out his excursions today. He was turning into the hoary villain he had sarcastically told Gary about.

Vexed with himself, Lorenzo turned and left. He would return with better preparation. In the meanwhile, he would let the Turner household have its heyday. They were too unassuming for their own good.  
**

* * *

**

The Turner household was not as blissful as The Other might have imagined. Wanda, armed with no real evidence but unsettling possibilities, appeared in Timmy's room while her godson played on his V Cube. Cosmo lingered in the background; she had a sinking sensation any serious conversation would be curtailed by Cosmo's hidebound convictions about Timmy's true motives. Still, this had to be done.

"Timmy, sweetie, maybe you could turn off the V Cube?" Wanda said gently. Timmy, in the middle of dribbling a virtual basketball down center court, ignored his godmother. Wanda sighed and drifted to the V Cube and next to Timmy.

"Please?"

"Why?" Cosmo snapped. "So we can tell him what a good little murderer he is?"

"No," Wanda said and sighed. He wasn't going to make this easy. He never did.

"I'm not in the mood," Timmy grumbled. "Why can't Vicky use her own bathroom?"

Wanda stared at Timmy for a moment. He was upset about a bathroom? That was rather mundane.

"Sport, if you want, we could fix that easily," Wanda said.

"Why should we?" Cosmo retorted and Wanda glared at him pointedly.

"Never mind," Timmy growled and pounded buttons. He stared at the screen as if hoping it might suck him in and he'd never have to return.

"Sport, I'd really appreciate if you shut that off," Wanda said. "We'd like to talk to you."

" 'We'?" Cosmo scoffed.

"Yes," Wanda said, fixing him a lethal look. " 'We'."

Timmy ignored her and his shoulders hunched. He cursed when his player missed the basket and, tired of being ignored, Wanda waved her wand and the TV shut off. Timmy objected loudly, jumping to his feet and glaring at his godparents. Cosmo glared back. Wanda kept her expression blank.

"Is there something you need to tell us?" Wanda said and, to forestall Cosmo's stupidity, she magicked a lock on his lips.

"What are you talking about?" Timmy said and eyed the TV like he'd like to put it between himself and them.

"Tootie, Cosmo," Wanda glared at her husband, "and I are worried."

"Worried?" Timmy said quickly, too quickly. "There's nothing to worry about."

"Tootie thinks you may be hurting yourself," Wanda continued and Timmy blanched. He suddenly decided the game controller in his lap was the most interesting thing in the world. He turned it over and read the copyright information on the back. Wanda levitated it out of his hands and rested it on top of the DVD player.

"It's not what she thinks," Timmy said after a pause.

"Then what is it?" Wanda said.

((He's been hurting baby squirrels!)) Cosmo said and Wanda wished she could muzzle Cosmo's telepathy too. She settled for ignoring him and rolled her eyes.

"Whatever Cosmo said, I'm not doing that either," Timmy affirmed.

"That's beside the point," Wanda said. She settled on the floor beside her godson and then, after a second, drifted into his lap. Cosmo balked, shooting to her and trying to shove her off. Wanda again ignored him and looked into Timmy's light blue eyes.

"Is Tootie right?" she pressed. "Are you hurting yourself?"

"What?" Timmy said. "That's ridiculous."

His voice was soft, however, and entirely unconvincing.

"Sport," Wanda murmured. "Even if we're afraid of you, we're still your godparents."

Timmy glared. He jumped up, grabbed the controller, and switched back on the V Cube and TV. She fell onto the floor, righted herself, and floated nearby.

"We care about you," she continued.

"You care more about your own asses than you do about me," Timmy muttered.

"Watch your language, young man," she said.

"Why should I?" Timmy said. "You barge into my room and you ask me stupid questions-"

"I asked if you were hurting yourself," Wanda said sharply. "That's not a stupid question."

Timmy said nothing. He clicked start on his game and Wanda raised her wand again to shut the TV and V cube off.

"I wish you'd leave me alone," Timmy said darkly. Wanda opened her mouth to object when Cosmo held up his wand and granted Timmy his wish. The two poofed out of the room and into the tree house. Wanda removed the lock, since there was no point, but when Cosmo spoke, she tuned him out. She was too incensed to focus.

She had said the wrong thing. She knew that now. Fat load of good that would do her, too. She would have to try again later and hope her weariness and Cosmo's anger didn't overwhelm her.

Would she have to catch Timmy in the act?

She looked out the window and Timmy paused his game to slam down the shades. Wanda sighed.  
**

* * *

**

Tootie felt Timmy's ire like a roiling black cloud in her brain. She sighed, disregarding it, and opened her book. She missed Cal. She hadn't had time to grieve for him before. Now, she was alone and Timmy was angry, but she was miserable. Miserable was a state of being for her, it seemed. She had received a godparent because she was miserable and yet, knowing Timmy Turner had eliminated that slim chance of happiness.

She ought to be angrier and she would be if she didn't love him so much.

Cal would understand. He never spoke much, but he always listened. Where was he now? What happened to faeries when they died? Maybe they went to Faerie Heaven, but Fairy World was above Earth. Was their heaven higher still?

Tootie clutched the book to her chest. She didn't know. Tears slipped down her cheeks. She didn't want to think about it, either.

She buried herself in her book and let Timmy's rage thunder in the back of her head.


	8. Breaking the Habit

Chapter Eight: Breaking the Habit

Timmy waited until Vicky went to sleep for the evening before closing and locking the bathroom door behind him. Relieved, he flicked on the light switch and opened the medicine cabinet. For a moment, his brain registered nothing and he tricked himself into seeing razors where the cabinet was empty. He reached for one and brushed air.

"What?" Timmy breathed and jumped onto the counter. The additional height was superfluous. He blinked again. It had to be a mistake. The razors were gone. They were here before Vicky used his bathroom. They had to be here again.

He searched under the sink; bathroom cleaners sat beneath the pipes and other toiletries, but no razors. He looked in the shower stall. He looked in the trash.

Apprehensive and furious, Timmy marched out of the bathroom, down the stairs, through the first floor (past a surprised Wanda, preparing Christmas treats for them the human way), and down the basement stairs. The door was locked and Timmy pounded on it. Wanda's eyes bore holes into his skull and he ignored her. His hands trembled.

He pounded until his fist hurt and Vicky pretended not to notice. Timmy growled and, backing up, rammed the door with his head. The ensuing pain promised him he'd never do that again in the near future and he groaned. His gut tightened, his cheeks flushed, and his head ached. To add to the fun, Wanda floated at his back.

"Sport?" Wanda inquired and Timmy backed up, ready to give it another go with his head if it stopped Wanda from asking questions.

Vicky opened the door at the same second Timmy charged through. Timmy kept going and careened into the sofa. He hit it stomach first and fall over, hitting his head again. Groaning, eyes watering with pain, he looked up at his fairy godmother and his evil former babysitter. His rage dissipated; he hurt too much to scream right now. Wanda's pink swirly hair had doubled and there were two fire breathing dragons in pairs of black jeans.

"What the hell is your problem, twerp?" Vicky snarled. Timmy groaned and Wanda waved her wand to place him upright. His vision cleared and he, woozy, looked on the kitchen counter and living room table for his precious boxes. The surfaces were empty and there were no familiar cardboard boxes in sight. His ire rose again and he glared at Vicky.

"Where are they?" he growled.

"Where are what, sport?" Wanda replied.

"What did you do with them?" he snapped.

"I put them to better use," Vicky said casually.

"They're _mine_," he growled. "You had no business going through my stuff and taking them."

Wanda looked from Vicky to Timmy and back again. She was bewildered and he wasn't going to bother to fill her in. Instead, placing his hands on his hips, he glowered at Vicky. She was determined to make him miserable, no matter what her capacity. Da Rules prohibited him from killing people, but if he could...

The acrid scent of burning cookies filled the air and Wanda popped away to tend to them. Timmy breathed easier and shut the door. His head still ached and he was still woozy, but he was too pissed to care.

"You took my razors," Timmy said, low and dangerous.

"What do you need razors for?" Vicky retorted.

"It's none of your business!" Timmy retorted. "Now give them back!"

"Beg for them," Vicky said. "Beg for your razors and maybe I'll give them back."

Timmy growled and rolled back his sleeves without thinking about it. His scars were visible and Vicky stared. When he hastened to cover them again, she laughed. It echoed in the basement and was so loud and malicious, Timmy froze, thinking for a second Wanda had heard them.

"You're cutting yourself?" Vicky said and laughed harder. Her pleasure at his pain sickened him and he hated her more than he ever had. He felt that loathing travel down the link to The Other. Before The Other had a chance to respond, Timmy shut off the link from his side and glared at Vicky.

"Give me the razors," Timmy snarled.

"You're miserable," Vicky said. "Absolutely, completely miserable."

She laughed harder and indicated the kitchen cabinets where she had stashed his precious razors. Timmy darted to them, grabbed the boxes, and longed to embed one in her throat. He hastened to the door with Vicky's laughter ringing in his ears. When he opened the door again, Vicky stopped and spoke again.

"I should tell Wanda," Vicky said maliciously. "She's already afraid of you. What will happen if I tell her that you're secreting away razors because you plan to murder her and Cosmo during the night?"

"That's not true!" Timmy cried.

"It doesn't matter," Vicky said, pink eyes twinkling. "She'll believe me because she doesn't trust you."

"I'd never hurt her!" Timmy protested and Vicky snickered.

"Think about how often you've said that in the past few months and tell me if she believes you," she said haughtily. Timmy's hands tightened on the boxes.

"I'd never hurt her with the razors," Timmy said, a dull flush sneaking up his neck and heat coating his cheeks.

"Would you rather she knew the truth?" Vicky said. "That little Timmy Turner lets?"

Timmy thought he might be sick. The room spun again and he leaned against the door for support. It shut behind him and he slumped, sliding down to the floor. Vicky snorted.

"What about Tootie? I'm sure she'd be interested too," Vicky said and Timmy blanched. She snickered.

"Don't you dare," he growled.

Wanda reappeared then with slightly burnt cookies and her hair burning. She batted at it with an oven mitt and it went out, but not without burning the mitt too. She frowned, looking at her godson and the red headed menace.

"What's going on here?" Wanda said and Vicky laughed. Her eyes gleamed and Timmy prayed Vicky would keep her damn mouth shut and leave Wanda out of this.

"Oh, nothing," Vicky said in that sugary sweet voice she used to use on Timmy's parents. Timmy glowered and averted his gaze from Wanda's. "I gave Timmy back his toys."

Timmy's gut tightened and he swallowed hard.

" 'Toys'?" Wanda inquired.

"Yeah, thanks, Vicky," Timmy said and felt like his mouth would fall out on the lies. Vicky smirked and Timmy lurched open the door, spurted up the stairs, through the main floor, up more stairs, and into his bathroom. He locked the door and, clutching his precious razors, stood there and panted. His hands were slippery and the boxes threatened to spill onto the floor. He waited to gain his breath, walked purposefully to the medicine cabinet, and promptly dropped them all. Heart pounding in his chest, he knelt and retrieved them. His knee brushed a razor and he cried out when another had become wedged beneath his leg. The blade had serrated his leg and the jean, causing the fabric to embed itself in the wound.

He stared at the blood pooling on his knee and smiled. The pain was fresh, new, and in an unfamiliar place. It was harder to see than his arms. He grabbed the razor that had cut him once and seized it to slice again when fairy dust rained on his head. He looked up. Wanda was floating above him.

"Did you really think you get rid of me that easily?" she said.

"I was hoping so, yes," Timmy said and forced a smile. Wanda did not smile back. Her pink eyes were dark and somber.

"Why do you have so many razors?" Wanda said tersely, like she was trying to hold back her temper or to avoid jumping to conclusions.

"It's for an art project," Timmy said.

" 'An art project'," Wanda repeated. Timmy nodded enthusiastically and stuffed the razors into their boxes. He snatched them up the floor faster than he thought possible and jammed them into the cabinet. He shut the cabinet and smiled wider. Wanda glared.

"I might have only been your godparent for a few years, but I wasn't born yesterday, Timmy," Wanda said.

"No, really, they're for an art project," he lied. "Linoleum cutters."

"And your teacher let you take them out of school and use them at home?" Wanda said skeptically.

"I never cut myself," he lied. Wanda's eyes narrowed and she folded her arms across her chest.

Something crashed in the living room and Wanda and Timmy stared at each other. Muttering darkly and promising Timmy she'd pick up on this later, she disappeared. Timmy's heart raced in his chest. Wanda was precariously close to finding out the truth. Maybe Timmy would luck out and whatever havoc Cosmo was wreaking would erase Wanda's short term memory.

* * *

Wanda dispensed of Cosmo's frivolity quickly and then returned, entering silently this time so her godson wouldn't notice. She transformed into a towel and watched Timmy remove the razor that had embedded itself in his jeans. He smiled at it like a long lost friend and then rolled up his pant leg. He contemplated the leg for a while, and then the razor, before depositing the razor back in the box.

He touched his right sleeve and then left it alone. He caressed the box's edges before depositing the box back into the cabinet. Wanda eyed Timmy's arms and swallowed back the unease she felt. The overwhelming sense of wrongness made her want to demand answers and reveal herself now, rather than wait for him to expose his secret to her. Cosmo wasn't concerned. Wanda knew better.

Timmy turned and Wanda concealed herself, transforming into a pill bottle in the cabinet. He shut the cabinet and walked off. Wanda, breath held, waited until he was gone before she switched into her true form and seized the box. She wanted to inspect the razors at length, now that Timmy had returned to his room.

She opened the box and stared. The door swung in without warning and she jumped, shutting the box in a hurry. Timmy gaped and then glared, eying the object in her hands.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Timmy growled. He had paled and his fists were clenched. "Don't touch that."

"For an art project, hmm?" Wanda retorted. "I told you before, Timmy, that I wasn't born yesterday. You never use linoleum art around the house. You and art are allergic to each other."

Timmy's eyes flashed and he ripped the box from her hands. He shoved it into the cabinet and growled, whirling on her. "I wish you'd back the fuck off."

Wanda smiled sweetly. "No can do, sport. In case you haven't noticed, Cosmo and I aren't exactly taking orders from you anymore."

"And what if Jorgen finds out?" Timmy retorted. His hands were sweating profusely and he wiped them on his pants.

"Do you really think he cares right now?" Wanda shot back. She leveled a stare at him and folded her arms over her chest. Anger hardened inside her and Cosmo gently probed, concerned over what transferred through the link. She ignored him and focused on Timmy.

"It's still a direct order," Timmy said. "You can't disobey a direct order. Not twice in a row."

"What are you really doing with the razors?" Wanda said, disregarding his comment. "I want an answer."

"And I wish you'd leave me alone!" Timmy said and in Wanda's head, she heard Cosmo reply, "Done!"

She was back in the tree house before she had time to scream in frustration. She rounded on Cosmo and her hair turned to flames. Her wand disintegrated in her hand and she snarled, transforming into a giant flaming cat without the wand's aid. The flames scorched the bed and she stared for a second, darkly amused.

"I'm aware you're afraid of Timmy," Wanda said in a perfectly calm voice. Her tail burned hotter. "And I'm aware you think that you're doing the best thing for both of us by protecting me."

Cosmo swallowed hard and she hissed.

"But we are still his godparents," she continued. "And as such, we have an obligation to him. In case you've forgotten."

Like that, she shielded him out of her emotions and, grabbing his wand, she disappeared. She was too angry to deal with Timmy again, too frustrated to speak to Cosmo, and in too bad of a mood to deal with anyone else. She concentrated on finding a spot where flame kitty didn't destroy everything in sight.


	9. Gatecrasher

Chapter Nine: Gatecrasher

She popped off to Fairy World and startled faeries took one look at her flaming hair and burning eyes before fleeing for their lives. Wanda chuckled, watching them go. She drifted along the marketplace and the faeries selling their wares ducked like her wand shot sparks. A small wooden stand caught fire and she glanced down. It _was_ shooting sparks. Oops.

There wasn't a godchild in her recent memory more vexatious than Timmy. It wasn't that he was suicidal- he'd be sadly mistaken if he thought that he was the only godchild she'd watched over who entertained suicidal thoughts. (Incidentally, death wishes were against Da Rules). If Timmy were only suicidal, Wanda wouldn't have had problems helping him. But he had the distinct honor of being the first godchild to try and kill them both, be molested, and then cut himself.

She snarled, a flaming cat, and tucked the wand away into 'empty space' for quick later retrieval. It would be there if she thought on it, but it'd be a pain to carry it around, especially in this form. The flames crackled and flew; she scorched the road while she walked and left little flaming sparks behind as parting gifts.

"And if you don't get this done for me, your head won't be the only one rolling," a familiar, Italian accented voice threatened. Wanda crept closer, her flame tail held high. "Capiche?"

The other party squeaked and Big Daddy growled. Wanda looked up; Big Daddy pinched the man's neck and his eyes bulged. The fairy was smaller than Big Daddy, with brown and black streaked hair and dark violet eyes. He wore a stained white t-shirt and black pants; the sweat had gathered on his collar and armpits. Lovely. Wanda grimaced.

"I asked if you understood me," Big Daddy snapped. "It's not a hard response."

The man nodded and Big Daddy dropped him. Gasping, the man dropped to the ground and panted out his fear on the cobblestones. Wanda eyed him and then shifted into her normal form.

"Daddy!" she called and he grinned, swooping down to pick her up and hug her.

"Wanda!" he replied. "How's my favorite girl been?"

"Okay, Daddy," she said, forgetting momentarily what had brought her here. Big Daddy released her and they floated back down the same street Wanda had burned. The vendors who hadn't fled for their lives swallowed hard and avoided their gazes. Wanda sighed; her father smirked.

"What brings you to Fairy World? I thought you were godparenting," he said.

"I am..." she said and scowled. "I needed a break."

"I thought Timmy was a good kid," he replied. The grand chapel, where she and Cosmo had married thousands of years ago, stood high and mighty above the other, surrounding buildings. Its golden bells were motionless; it wasn't close enough to the hour for them to ring throughout Fairy World.

Wanda sighed.

"He givin' you trouble?" Big Daddy asked. "You want I should teach him a lesson?"

"No!" she said quickly and then stared at the tracks she'd made. "I don't know."

"What? I haven't checked in on you in two years and now, you're having all sorts of problems?" he asked.

"Three," she corrected. "And...it's a long story."

"I have time," he said and checked his watch. "There's a good Chinese place around here. I'll treat you."

"I should get back," she said. "Cosmo will worry if I'm gone too long."

_He'll think Timmy did something to me._

"Then I'll come back with you to Earth," Big Daddy said.

"No!" Wanda said quickly, too quickly. Her father frowned at her.

"What are you hiding?" he said. "You didn't run off and marry someone else, did you?"

"No...it's just..." she grimaced and massaged her temples. How to tell him that there were three humans living in one house, her godchild was an orphan, and everything else that had happened since he last visited? Now that she'd denied him, he'd want to see it more. She didn't have a choice.

"Wanda..." he growled. "Out with it."

"I might as well show you," she said and groaned. "Just remember, before you get there- I warned you it was bad."

Big Daddy growled and cracked his knuckles. She groaned. This was going to be an experience.

* * *

Thankfully, everyone except Timmy was asleep. Her godchild stared out the window and traced his scars. Wanda growled inwardly and she and her father arrived noiselessly. Nonetheless, Timmy dropped his sleeve and turned, eyes widening at their unexpected visitor.

"Uh, hi," Timmy said. Wanda glared.

"I came back," she said bluntly. "Are you going to wish me away again?"

"Is that what happened the first time?" Big Daddy snapped and cracked his knuckles. Timmy swallowed hard and backed up, light blue eyes wide. His eyes flicked from Big Daddy to Wanda and back again. A faint telepathic whisper drifted past Wanda's consciousness and she stiffened, immediately thinking of Lorenzo. Timmy stiffened too, guessing her train of thought.

"What's _he_ doing here?" Timmy said and he probably meant it to sound angry or outraged. It came out strangled and Timmy backed up another step. Big Daddy had that effect on faeries and people.

"Makin' sure that no snotnosed godkid upsets my little girl," Big Daddy shot back.

"What...exactly did you tell him?" Timmy said.

"Nothing," she said. _I offered to let him see for himself. That was worse._ Absently, she looked in her wand to discover Cosmo had fallen asleep waiting for her. Thinking of Tootie displayed the girl awake, alert, and peering at the wall which she shared with Timmy's room. Vicky was awake, staring at the ceiling, and a tall, brown haired anti faerie scrutinized their house outside Timmy's window.

"You make my Wanda upset and then she tells me nothing is wrong?" Big Daddy said. "Why don't we have a talk? A nice, violent talk."

"Daddy, no," she cautioned and he rolled his eyes.

"Right...child abuse laws," he said and snorted. "Ya know, some people need the snot beaten out of them, laws or not."

Timmy flinched and stared out the window. She didn't understand how he hadn't noticed Lorenzo in the first place, but now that he had, his shoulders rode high and his bony hands were clenched. The telepathic whisper bypassed her again, but whatever was said, Timmy's posture tightened still. A cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

Big Daddy snapped his fingers in front of Timmy's face and the boy blinked, staring at Big Daddy like he had forgotten he was there.

Wanda eyed Big Daddy, her godson, and then the figure standing outside. Leaving Timmy alone with Big Daddy might be a bad idea. At the same time, letting Lorenzo loiter outside, so close to his prey, unnerved her. Hmm. Big Daddy probably wouldn't hurt Timmy and she had to get rid of The Other. She had left Cosmo alone for five minutes a few times. The world hadn't ended yet.

_Yet._

"Don't touch him," Wanda warned and then popped outside, leaving Big Daddy and Timmy alone. The Other was staring up at the house and then shifted, spotting the bright pink flash in the darkness. The familiar hatred filled her and she chanced a look up at Timmy.

Sudden pain exploded beneath her eye and she spun. Lorenzo grinned at her and then snickered at her outrage.

"You turned your gaze but for a second," The Other said. "What will become of Timmy if you persist in this woeful protection?"

Wanda trembled. If she were her father's daughter, she would have hit him back or threatened to hurt him. She could hurt him, but if she did, The Other might call out for Timmy. And Cosmo's doubts rattled in her mind. Timmy was only just free of The Other's intents. What if one call brought him back?

"And what will become of you if you insist on creating inner dialogue and ignoring me?"

Wanda snarled. "You have my attention."

"Good," he said. "I was rather afraid I'd missed it."

"What do you want?"

"What do I always want? You dead, frach, and your husband at my feet as a rug," The Other said. "I'm sure Timmy is familiar with that image."

His face creased in anger and he spat at her. She moved back and it missed. Her eyes narrowed too and she squeezed her wand to reassure herself that it was there and she had it.

"Go away," Wanda snapped.

"Why should I? What purpose would it serve?" The Other replied. "I quite enjoy your misery."

"I'm not miserable," she retorted.

"Aren't you?" The Other stepped forward and Wanda floated where she was. There was less than a foot between them and her floating height placed her as tall as him.

"No," she snapped. "But if you're done making everyone else miserable-"

"He still will kill you," he said. "You have naught to fear but fear itself...and a little boy Reaper."

Wanda wanted to rebuff that statement, but lacked conviction. The Other laughed when she didn't reply and her stomach clenched. In her wand, she saw Timmy look out the window again, but Big Daddy forced his attention back on him.

"But if you tire of my company, I'll return later," he said. "When you aren't around."

His cold blue eyes alight with malicious pleasure and he walked off. Unlike faeries and normal anti faeries, Lorenzo wasn't gifted with instant transportation. She watched him walk away and then returned to Timmy's room to run damage control. That is, if there was anything left of her godson to help.


	10. Lock, Stock, and Barrel

Chapter Ten: Lock, Stock, and Barrel

"What did you do to my baby girl?" Big Daddy demanded. Timmy withdrew to the wall and glared at Big Daddy; he mustered his outrage, which wasn't hard, because he thought he might know what was going on here. Wanda and Cosmo thought he was too dangerous to handle on their own, so they had encouraged her father to join the anti Timmy parade. They didn't trust him and now, they left him in the charge of Big Daddy, who had a 'way' with humans and faeries.

A tremor broke out along his body and he ignored it. He squared his shoulders.

"Nothing," Timmy hissed, a lie. The Other's thought patterns were not affecting him anymore and glancing out the window, he saw Wanda's distinctive hair and sensed Lorenzo speaking to her. The cold sweat which had broken out along his forehead continued on the back of his neck and he unconsciously groped for a familiar, loving touch. He encountered Tootie and, startled by her intrusion and already on the defensive, he blocked her out without thinking.

_She can't know. None of them can know. They're out to get me. They don't trust me. Oh god, what if Vicky told Wanda and Wanda popped off to get Big Daddy before they 'deal' with me?_

"My daughter wouldn't have come to me if this wasn't important," Big Daddy said and cracked his knuckles. "Now, what have you done?"

"Nothing!" Timmy snapped. "I didn't do anything to them!"

"I have ways of making you talk, ways that won't leave physical scars to show I've done them," Big Daddy snapped. "It's not just soul mate faeries who have mental powers."

Timmy swallowed hard, thinking of Big Daddy discovering his link to Lorenzo. Just how much had Wanda told him? And what was going on? His hand unconsciously curled around a razor in his pocket; he wasn't sure he'd use it, either in defense or offense, but it comforted him to hold. Would attacking a fairy get him in worse trouble than he was already in? And would Jorgen even give a fuck when he had let all this happen without saying boo?

"You'd hurt me with Wanda around?" Timmy countered. He felt Tootie pushing at their mental link and Big Daddy's eyebrows raised.

"Oh, so you stole some magic of your own, hmm?" Big Daddy said. "Is that why Wanda's so upset? You conned her out of magic?"

"I didn't do a goddamn thing to her!" Timmy replied. "Get off my case!"

"She said you wished her away," her father growled and raised his wand warningly. "I don't like it when punk kids start ordering my children around."

He had a sudden image of a cougar dashing at his head and tearing its claws along his mind. The claws sank in, poised to shred his precious futile walls and he tensed, snatching the razor and lifting to defend himself. Pink fairy dust materialized into the room and the cougar lunged, bowling Timmy over with fierce strength. Timmy struck out blindly with the razor and fell backward, cracking his head on the wall.

"Ow..." he moaned.

"Daddy! _Timmy_!" Wanda exclaimed. Timmy groaned, sitting up and rubbing his head. He grazed his hair with the razor and grimaced, resting it on the floor for now. His vision had doubled and he was disoriented.

"He pulled a freakin'..." Big Daddy paused and floated the razor to him. "What the hell is this thing? It looks like a box cutter."

"It's a linoleum cutter," Timmy said, dazed. He straightened, shaking off whatever the collision had caused, and jumped to his feet. He was dizzy, but ignored it. "And it's mine. Give it to me."

"I only wanted to 'discuss' things with him and he pulled a weapon on me," Big Daddy snarled.

Timmy rounded on Wanda. Of the two faeries present, she was the least likely to hurt him and he felt betrayed all over again by her actions. "What did you tell him?"

"You just happen to carry razors on you at all times?" she replied coolly.

"You think I'm waiting to kill you and Lorenzo was outside just now so he could pick up your dead bodies?" Timmy snapped.

On a scale of one to ten of the worst things Timmy could possibly say at that particular moment, that statement ranked about a nine, nine and a half. The only thing worse than saying that would have been, "Hey, I was just waiting to kill you, but now that you've spoiled the surprise, I guess I'll just stab you and get it over with."

Big Daddy exploded. Ropes spread from his wand and pinned Timmy to the wall. A gag appeared in his mouth and Big Daddy zoomed up to Timmy's face. Only Timmy's eyes were mobile; the rest of his body was paralyzed. However, he didn't need his mouth to talk. This may or may not have been a good thing, considering the mass stupidity capable of spewing from him. Wanda's mind was harder to reach than Tootie's and opening himself up to her meant showing Tootie what was going on, but it was safer than letting Big Daddy finish him off.

((I was being sarcastic! I wasn't serious! Wanda, call him off!)) Timmy sent.

((Timmy? What's going on?)) Tootie cried.

((Oh go _away_,)) he grumbled in response.

"You know, you are just inches away from being my latest 'failure at communication'," Big Daddy snapped. "And don't think I can't hear you trying to contact my daughter, because I do."

Wanda's voice shook when she spoke. "Why did you have the razor, then? And why is Lorenzo hanging around?"

((You already know, don't you? You've already guessed,)) Timmy said. The truth was a horrible burden and it wasn't something he wanted to give her. He'd much rather avoid telling her about it, but what choice did he have? Unless he'd rather die for it...he stared at Big Daddy and contemplated, for a few seconds, what it'd be like to die skewered on the edge of Big Daddy's wand.

((_**No!**_)) The clamor from Tootie, Wanda, and The Other temporarily deafened his mind. His head ached and Wanda trembled, hesitating to place herself between her father and her godson. What he had said had sunk too deeply to be taken back or apologized for. He had gotten to the root of her anxiety over being with him. Goddamn it. Smart, Timmy, brilliant.

The door next to them slammed and Tootie ripped open Timmy's door. Her purple eyes sparkled in rage and she trembled, fists balled, glaring at Big Daddy like she'd like to slug him. From someone who didn't have in her whole body when Big Daddy had in spades in his whole body, magic, she was pretty courageous. If it weren't for the sole fact Timmy didn't want her there, he might appreciate this. As it was, she was meddling. Again. His eyes flashed in response and muttered a few curse words no one heard because the gag muffled them.

"I don't know who you are, but leave my Timmy alone!" Tootie proclaimed. The specter of a brown haired faerie danced before Timmy's eyes for a split second before dissipating and causing him to wonder whether he was losing his mind. Then he wondered whether insanity would be a welcome change.

"You dare threaten me, little girl?" Big Daddy snarled.

"Enough!" Wanda cried, interposing herself between Tootie and Big Daddy. Timmy simmered in rage and jealousy. She'd protect someone who wasn't even her own charge, but she wouldn't protect _him_ from Big Daddy? Was she that afraid of him? How much had she told him? Had she intended Big Daddy to execute him and Tootie was interfering, like she always did?

Wanda held up her wand and removed the gag from Timmy's mouth.

"You're right," she hissed at Timmy. "I have my suspicions about why you have boxes full of razors and I'm not as stupid as you'd like to think I am. I _know_ you've been cutting yourself."

Timmy was cornered, in the physical and emotional sense of the word. He had nothing left but to deny it. "No, I haven't. You can't prove anything. Leave me the hell alone, Wanda."

Wanda raised her wand and his sleeves rolled back to reveal deep cuts on his arms. His pants rolled up too, showing more than before, and bile rose in Timmy's throat.

"I fell," Timmy lied. "Are you done with the third degree?"

"These were deliberate," Wanda said. Her eyes narrowed. "Don't lie to me, Timmy. You did that before, too..."

Her eyes glazed over for a few seconds and Timmy hated himself and her in the same instant. He wanted to get himself free, but was powerless to move. Tootie, meanwhile, was staring at his body in both awe and shock. She backed away, closer to the door, and Timmy glared at her.

"Fine, leave," he spat. "I knew you didn't really love me."

"I _do_ love you," she protested.

"He's been hurting himself in preparation for hurting you?" Big Daddy said, completely bewildered. He was out of his element here and he, Wanda, and Timmy knew it. Wanda waved her hand and he vanished, surprisingly staying wherever she had sent him. Another glowing wand later, he was released on the floor. Wanda stared at him; her pink eyes were huge in her face and without another word, only a distant echo of ((_Cosmo_!)), she was gone.

"Timmy..." Tootie breathed and Timmy whirled, grabbing his razor. It was security and comfort in his hand; a weapon against himself.

"Well?" Timmy snapped. "Aren't you going to accuse me of trying to kill you too?"

"Timmy, Timmy, why..." she said and burst into tears.

"Go away, Tootie," he said savagely.

"You _need_ me," she wailed. "Why didn't you tell me? _Timmy_!"

"I don't need you," he retorted. "I don't need anyone."

"Yes, you do!" she protested. She remained where she was, however, and a cruel grin spread across his face.

"You can't bear to touch me, can you?" he said. She approached, hesitant, like dealing with a shy animal. She stopped a few inches before reaching him and he grinned wider, not actually pleased, but her behavior was exactly what he had anticipated from her. Tears dripped from her eyes in a fierce flood that made Timmy mildly surprised she could see where she was going. The telepathic link between them opened again and he collapsed onto the floor. Her emotions were too powerful for him to ignore, not mind to mind.

She stumbled to him and held his wrist in her hands. She lifted it to her lips, kissed it, and trailed kisses up his arm. His breath caught in his throat and he wanted to wrench his arm away, deny her affection, but he couldn't move. Her emotions rooted him and made him almost long for a way to express himself _normally_, not by cutting. She kissed his neck, ran her fingers through his hair, and leaned her head against his.

"Timmy?" Wanda called gently and Timmy was loathe to move his head to look at her.

"What did you _do_ to yourself?" Cosmo swallowed hard. Timmy felt his old rage returning, but it was at a distance. Tootie was half in his lap; she covered his cheeks in kisses and he craved it, like nothing he had ever experienced before.

"He cut himself," Tootie snapped. "What does it look like he did?"

She pecked him on the lips and his breath came quicker. Lorenzo had tricked Trixie into liking him before, but the care and attention Tootie demonstrated were all hers. Timmy's heart pounded in his chest.

"Why didn't you tell us you were doing this?" Wanda demanded. Her voice was breathy and she looked like she had had the shock of a lifetime.

"Why did you sic Big Daddy on me?" Timmy retorted.

"You sicced Big Daddy on him?" Cosmo said, surprised.

"Not quite," Wanda said and winced. "I offered to 'show him' Timmy's situation and he materialized all on his own here."

"You were going to use him to hurt me!" Timmy snapped. "He was about to launch some sort of attack when you showed up!"

"I didn't..." Wanda stopped, backed up, and grimaced. "My intention was not to hurt you. My intention was to get you to admit you've been up to something."

"You just wanted me to tell you I'm in cahoots with The Other to kill you," Timmy snarled. Tootie withdrew slightly, rubbing his shoulder, and beneath the sorrow was slight fear. She, like everyone else in the room, was afraid of him. He was sick of it, but at the same time, he wasn't angry enough to yell at everyone.

"I didn't _want_ to hear that," Wanda snapped. She glided down to him and Timmy turned his head away from her.

Cosmo floated down too, resting on his lap. "Why didn't you tell us?"

"Oh, let's see, because every time you spoke to me, you ran from the room terrified I'd stab you," Timmy said sarcastically.

Cosmo and Wanda exchanged a look and a low murmur of telepathy passed over Timmy's head. He glowered at them.

"What?" he snapped. "Going to deny it?"


	11. Heart to Heart

Author's Note: This chapter is short because the next segment is long, and I didn't want to smash them together.

Chapter Eleven: Heart to Heart

"No," Wanda admitted, heart heavy. "We're not going to deny the truth, sport."

"But that doesn't mean you should have been cutting yourself, either," Cosmo added. "Just how many times did you do it, anyway?"

Times? Timmy had lost count. Wanda laid a hand on his shoulder and he stiffened away from it and the implied affection. His eyes narrowed and his temper soared, rising above Tootie's attempts to quell his moods. He jumped to his feet.

"All of a sudden, you care about me. Not when The Other was abusing me, not when you had a responsibility to Fairy World to stop him, but now, when you guys really fuck up," Timmy snapped. "I know you're still afraid of me. I can see it in your eyes. You still think I'm going to kill you."

Wanda fumbled. "We don't necessarily think that now-"

"Spare me," he snarled. "You only care now because you've done something wrong."

Wanda bristled. "We've always cared! Who do you think it was who stopped you from making a horrible mistake all those months ago? Who do you think kept nagging at you and pestering you to stop believing The Other's lies after you'd been brainwashed? Who kept trying even though it seemed hopeless?"

"Maybe it was self preservation," Timmy said. Wanda stiffened. In the back of his mind, he knew it wasn't, but he was furious with her for finding out his secret and betraying him. He was enraged she'd brought her father into this, almost had him kill him, and then had the gall to act like she'd cared all along. It wasn't like they'd done anything useful in the last few months; they'd flinched away from him and avoided him. Some fairy godparents they were.

"No, it wasn't," Wanda said in the coldest voice he'd ever heard. "We did it because we love you."

"Sure you do," he said. His eyes narrowed. "I wish I was anywhere but here!"

"You can't wish that!" Wanda objected. "Didn't we warn you a long time ago against non specific wishes?"

"And we're not done talking," Tootie snapped. "Did you forget about me?"

Timmy glared at the trio. "I wish I were anywhere but here and in a place Cosmo, Wanda, and Tootie won't follow! And that's an order!"

Wanda growled. Him ordering her around had led to Big Daddy appearing in the first place. Cosmo hesitantly raised his wand, afraid of his godson, but also afraid of Wanda's retribution should he grant the wish. A half minute passed, awkward and full of Timmy glaring pure loathing at his godparents.

"Grant it or I'll wish we were in Fairy World explaining how this happened," Timmy snarled.

"How dare you blackmail us," Wanda snapped. Her eyes narrowed. "I don't know how to convince you we don't have conditional love and affection-"

"I wish I were in the most remote part of Dimmsdale," Timmy said dangerously. "And that's the last time I'll wish it before I'll wish for Jorgen instead."

Cosmo and Wanda trembled. Aside from being the "toughest fairy in the universe", Jorgen would also find ample blame with Cosmo and Wanda for allowing the situation to escalate so far. After all, before The Other appeared, things were usually their fault. Wanda gritted her teeth and glared at him.

"Go ahead," she said. "Call him here."

Timmy's mouth dropped for a few seconds. He hadn't expected her to call his bluff. Cosmo gawked at his wife, who shrugged and glared at her godson. Her hands were clenched tight, one on her wand and the other in a fist.

Timmy faltered. For one thing, he'd had no intention of explaining this to Jorgen, because it meant he'd have to show him he'd self harmed. For another, although he seemed outwardly angry and resentful, he was very much afraid of losing Cosmo and Wanda, which was what would probably happen if Jorgen got wind of this. They were all he had left, they and Tootie, and Wanda was shooting him a look fit to maim.

"What's the matter, Timmy?" she snapped.

"I want back what's mine," he retorted. "Gimme back my razors."

"Over my dead body," she said, clearly not thinking when she said it. Cosmo gasped and Wanda ignored him. Timmy balled his fists too.

"If you won't give them to me, I'll find someone who will," he said. She cocked her eyebrows at him.

"Oh really? Is this the same as calling Jorgen here?" She folded her arms across her chest.

The only person he knew who would let him self harm was Lorenzo, who would probably find it amusing. Thinking about The Other and spending time in his close proximity made his blood run cold and he gulped. Wanda studied him carefully and Cosmo followed her lead. Tootie was silent, radiating discontent.

He felt trapped. He'd never intended for Cosmo and Wanda to discover his secret and now that they had, he needed to escape them. Wanda floated to him and stared at him. Sweat trickled down his neck.

"How long have you been doing this?" she asked. The question hung in the air. "And how long did you think it would take us to notice?"

Timmy sneered, but it was weak. "You probably would have thought the razors were to attack you if you hadn't seen the scars."

"Don't change the subject," Wanda snapped.

Timmy hesitated. He didn't want to tell them the truth. Having them here, seeing these scars, made him feel vulnerable, in a way he hadn't felt since The Other had first hatched his plans and Timmy had his brief moments of clarity. He couldn't be vulnerable because Cosmo and Wanda already felt that way around him, and he hadn't been a child in so long a time. Timmy ran his fingers along his scars.

Wanda switched tactics. "You don't have to tell us right now, but running away from your problems never solved anything."

Timmy grimaced. A question popped into his mind and he asked it, if only to get them to change the subject.

"Aside from me and Crocker, who was the worst godchild you ever had?" he asked. Wanda scowled, waved her wand and healed his scars. He gasped and she smiled at him. Though the fear was omnipresent, warmth and affection overpowered it. He had to look away. What was worse was through the telepathic link, though it was far weaker between him and her, she conveyed her emotions too. Tootie projected her own and, pinned, Timmy felt his own emotions shoved far beneath.

"You aren't the worst godchild we've ever had," Wanda said. She settled into his lap and hugged him around the middle. "Sweetie, why didn't you tell us you were in this much pain?"

"I told you, because-"

"It'd be easier to get over if we trusted each other more," she said and smiled. Cosmo settled beside him, though not in his lap like his godmother, and offered him a weak smile. Tootie took his hand and held it on her lap.

"As for your question, honey...we'd have to go back a while, about two hundred years. Things weren't as simple back then..."

* * *

Lorenzo wandered the mall after it'd closed. It'd been a simple matter to break inside and, unable to quell his surging thoughts, he engaged in petty larceny. The faeries had shut down most communication between himself and Timmy, leaving Timmy to project but The Other unable to send. As usual, The Other was left out of the loop and he grimaced. He missed having Timmy at his side. Remy Buxaplenty made a poor substitute.

He wrinkled his forehead. Where had he placed the boy again? After a few seconds, he placed him in a library where he'd ordered him to do something or another. Fists balled, Lorenzo glared at the broad, empty mall square and hissed. This bored him. Perhaps he could haunt the Turner household...except Wanda had erected a safeguard around it. He could enter the treehouse, but then the frach would notice him.

He launched himself from the second floor and landed on an escalator with no damage. Rocking back and forth on his heels, he smirked at the teeth rattling slam he'd had and flexed. A small figure with curly black hair stared at him from the immobile escalator and placed his hands on his hips. Lorenzo froze, gripping the handrail.

"You," he snapped. "What do you do, live here?"

"At least I'm not pining over Tim-Tim like a loser," Gary shot back. Lorenzo strode down the escalator and joined Timmy's imaginary friend on the ground floor. Gary narrowed his eyes and walked a few feet ahead of him so they weren't next to each other. Lorenzo rolled his eyes. He hadn't wanted to stand beside him, anyway.

"No, you haunt malls and stay away from Timmy, Cosmo, and Wanda for no viable reason," he answered. He wrinkled his nose in distaste. "You have all of Dimmsdale in which to live and you choose the mall. How banal."

"I never said I lived here," he snapped. "You did."

They walked toward the sealed off exit and Gary immediately dropped down to a concealed chute in the wall. Lorenzo rolled his eyes and knocked on the bars barricading the door. They fell away and he pushed open the door. Gary, in the process of removing the grate, stared at him. Lorenzo stared back.

"Go ahead and crawl through the mall like a vermin," he said. "Civilized people use the door."

Gary hissed and shoved his way through, allowing the door to close in The Other's face. Undeterred, Lorenzo walked through and kicked Gary in the back. Gary stumbled, righted himself, and glared pure hatred at Lorenzo. Lorenzo glared back.

"You're gonna get what's comin' to you, you know," Gary said.

"I certainly hope it's Timmy, because you make a poor substitute," Lorenzo said.

"Timmy's on that list too," Gary said darkly.


	12. Worst Day Ever

Author's Note: Long chapter ahead. Wanda's story was lengthy. What can I say?

Chapter Twelve: Worst Night Ever

Rain pounded the ground and Wanda sniffled, kicking the ground in a forced deer form. Cosmo had fallen asleep beside her as a stag and she wished she had their wands to erect a tent or shield against the howling winds. Cosmo had the sleep gift, where he could simply collapse anywhere and fall asleep. Wanda wasn't so lucky. Fraught with concern and painfully aware of their situation, she remained awake, wishing they had somewhere safe to stay.

Their godson had decided to play god and deny them their wands or access to magic unless he was around. Then, it had to be magic he approved of, and magic he wanted. They couldn't complain to Jorgen about him because he wouldn't allow them to disappear on him. He'd wished something to that effect, rendering Cosmo and Wanda as useful as real deer.

Wanda heard a wolf call and jumped out of her skin. She sent a tentative mind probe to Cosmo, but he was down for the count. Wanda stretched and debated trying to figure out how to determine how close the wolf was versus staying within sight of the cabin in case their godchild awoke. Her heart leapt into her throat at a second wolf howl and she nudged Cosmo's stomach with her head.

Cosmo rolled over and huffed.

((WAKE UP!))

Cosmo bolted upright, startled, and she looked at him. The wolves' howls were getting closer and her fur stood on end. She judged them to be within a mile, and that was far too close for their comfort. The cabin was about five hundred feet away.

"What? What's going on?" he said. "Where's the fire?"

The wolves' howls were closer and Wanda darted for the cabin door. Cosmo followed suit and the wolves suddenly got a lot closer, like within a hundred feet. They weren't real wolves. This somehow wasn't encouraging. Come to think of it, hadn't their godson wished they'd have an 'interesting' night? Spending their night being chased by magical wolves certainly matched 'interesting'.

"Let us in! Let us in!" Cosmo demanded, butting the door with his antlers. Their godson appeared in the window and grinned, white teeth gleaming, at them. He had perfect teeth, wavy black hair, and right now, glittering little black eyes. He was dressed in a white, ragged dressing gown and held a candle in his hand. Wanda suspected he'd been waiting for them. Thankfully for their godson, his parents slept through anything.

"Not until you've tired the wolves," he said with a nasty grin. "Good night, Cosmo and Wanda."

"That's not fair!" Wanda said. "We didn't know the way the wish would go, and you're inside a nice, warm cabin."

"Yeah, let us in!" Cosmo said, ramming the door again.

"Father wouldn't like wild animals in the house," the boy said. "Who knows what diseases they might carry."

"We're not wild animals, we're faeries!" Cosmo protested. "Let us in!"

"Not until you've fulfilled the wish specifications," he said and closed the window. Wanda butted the door with her head, and Cosmo did too, but the boy ignored them. Cosmo began to curse and then bit off, because the wolves were right in front of them. They weren't the normal colors- red, white, and gold featured prominently in their manes. They were also larger than regular wolves, coming up to mid flank, with vicious fangs. Cosmo whimpered and stepped back. Wanda took one long look at them and pelted through the woods. Cosmo was at her heels. The wolves laughed.

((What'll happen if they catch us?)) Cosmo sent.

((He can't wish for us to be killed,)) Wanda said.

((What about bleeding to death in a gutter somewhere?)) Cosmo said. His mental voice grew frantic. ((Can he wish that?))

((Less thinking, more running!)) They dashed through the woods at breakneck speed. The boy hunted around here all the time, but in the dark, everything had changed location. With the wolves at their backs, it was hard to think and focus on where things were. Wanda tripped over a rock near a spring and went flying, landing on her ankle and wobbling. It had sprained on the landing and she whimpered.

((Cosmo, I'm hurt.))

Cosmo didn't reply. She limped off, her right ankle throbbing, and the wolves snickered. Terrified of what might happen if she were caught, she began running again, putting all her weight on her other legs. Fortunately, it wasn't a great deal of weight, but it was enough to slow her down and render her off balance. A branch snapped beneath her feet, at least, she hoped it was a branch.

((Cosmo, where are you?))

She couldn't feel him. Terror rose in waves and she choked on it. The second half of her, the one she loved more than life itself, was suddenly off limits to her. She couldn't tell if he was alive...or not. What was worse was she didn't know where she'd lost him, and whether backtracking would help. Her leg crumpled under her and she raised her head to howl. There was a way to do magic without her wand, but it required using dark magic and faeries weren't supposed to rely on dark magic.

Struggling to stand, she fell back down and a red shape hurtled itself at her. It grinned, baring its teeth, and Wanda moaned. Opening its jaw wide, it prepared to take a huge bite out of her stomach. Without thinking, blindly relying on the land and hoping there were ley lines beneath the earth, she thrust _out_, searching for magic wherever it might lie. She locked into a rich source of it and changed into an animal a wolf couldn't easily catch. The transformation, though brief, was excruciating and her body ached with the exertion. The wolf lunged and she flew, an owl now, up into a tree. Her weakened right ankle made it difficult to stand in one place, so she leaned on her left leg.

The red wolf sniffed and pawed the tree, but was unable to reach her. After a minute, he gave up and Wanda relaxed, sagging against the tree. Continuing to run on the ankle hadn't improved matters. Inspecting it told her in no uncertain terms she'd broken it. Her heart sank. Transforming into an owl had taken too much power out of her. Healing her ankle without her wand was out of the question.

However, she was not the issue at the moment. Every second she couldn't feel Cosmo could be a moment he was in mortal peril.  
**

* * *

**

Cosmo had accidentally blocked Wanda out. The last thing he'd received from her had been an admonishment and so, his magic had gone into lock down. When Wanda had sprinted to the left, he'd taken the right fork and had entered unknown territory. Two wolves pursued him and, in a blind panic, he almost ran into trees and rocks. He hadn't hurt himself yet, but it was only a matter of time.

He hadn't consciously noticed he couldn't feel Wanda. It was odd, since so much of their existence depended on caring about each other and being aware of the other. However, it was survival of the fittest right now, and without his wand, Cosmo was far from "the fittest".

One wolf made a leap that should have been impossible and landed in front of him. Cosmo kicked up dirt, desperate to avoid him, and the other wolf had him from the rear. Whining, Cosmo lowered his head and slammed his antlers into one. He was blindly reacting, and the other wolf took advantage of his exposed side to bite his leg. Cosmo screamed. The moon was a tiny sliver overhead, but the faerie blood sparkled on the ground. Cosmo, anxious more than ever, swung around on his weakened leg and tried to attack everything in sight.

The other wolf was dazed, but the second one, the one attacking him, bit his other leg hard enough to break bone. Cosmo could _see_ bone, white and gleaming. He almost vomited.

((WANDA!)) She wasn't receiving. He didn't know why, couldn't have told anyone for the life of him that he'd blocked her out.

"You're a dead fairy," the gold wolf said.

"We can't kill him," the white one corrected. "But we can rough him up a bit."

Cosmo lowered his head again and both wolves jumped, biting him on the broken leg and in the flanks. Cosmo went down hard, panting and staring up at them with wide green eyes. Blood coated the ground and the two wolves laughed, and, amazingly, walked away. Cosmo couldn't think beyond his relief. He didn't think anything else could have happened, or that there might be anything more in store. He was just grateful to be alive, albeit in pain.

"Cosmo! COSMO!" Wanda shrieked and Cosmo moaned.

"Wanda..." Cosmo cried weakly.

Wanda swooped down, in an owl form, to land on him. She was careful not to put any weight on her right leg and instead looked like she was trying out for a ballet, balancing precariously on one leg.

"You blocked me out, you idiot," she said, but there was no real anger in it. "What happened?"

Struggling to think with the pain surging through him, he had a hard time retelling the story. With a grimace, Wanda wrenched his mind open to her again and went through the memories herself, since scanning his mind was much more coherent than waiting for him to piece everything together again. When she finished, Cosmo lowered his head and concentrated on not passing out. Between the two of them, they were a sorry pair.

"There wasn't a sense of wish fulfilled," Wanda said. "There might be something else out there for us."

"Maybe he'll change his mind," Cosmo said weakly.

"He's trying to kill us," she said and shuddered. "You know Da Rules, but there are loopholes and ways around them. He doesn't have to wish us dead. He can find alternate ways to do it."

"But why..." Cosmo said.

"I don't know," Wanda said. "I wish I did."

((How did you change, anyway?))

"I don't know..." she said. "I just did."

((Can I do it?)) He was too weak to speak aloud.

"Not in that condition," she said. "We need to get back to the cabin...unless you want to wait for him to find us."

((I can't walk back,)) he pointed out.

"I'll fly back and fetch us our wands, dumpling," she said. "Then we'll be okay."

A tremor went through her. "I hope."  
**

* * *

**

Wanda zipped in through an open window near the cabin's rear. The boy, Daniel, wasn't asleep as she'd hoped. Her spirits sank. He faced the window and clutched their precious wands in his hands. Resigned to an argument, she landed on his night table on one leg and stopped herself before she fell over.

The room was small and his bed stuffed with hay. It had the nightstand, with a candle she knocked over trying to right herself, and the floor was worn wood. Daniel could walk from one side of the room to the other in three short strides. Wanda couldn't smile as an owl, and, considering the distress she received from Cosmo, she couldn't fake one.

"Sport, I don't know why you feel compelled to do this, but, Cosmo and I really need our wands," she said.

"No," Daniel said. "Why should you be entitled to healing powers when my mother wasn't?"

Wanda flinched. "I told you. We can't bring the dead back to life."

"You should have tried harder," he admonished. With her keen eyes, she saw what she hadn't before setting out tonight. His right eye was swollen.

"We can't bring the dead back to life. It's against Da Rules," she said. "But that doesn't mean Cosmo and I can't be as good parents to you as-"

"Excuses," he scoffed. "And now I expect you'll tell me the wolves got Cosmo and you really need your wands, or they'll come back and finish him off."

Wanda's mouth dried. "They're coming back?"

"It's only a matter of time," Daniel said. His eyes narrowed. "How did you shift without your wand?"

In the future, Wanda would have much more sympathy and affection toward her godchildren, partly because she'd be with them longer. She'd only been with Daniel a few weeks, and he'd treated her and Cosmo like dirt. She was losing patience. Cosmo was injured and with the wolves returning, he'd be unable to defend himself with his wand.

"Please give us back our wands," she said.

"Or what?" he said.

A rippling pain seized her. It felt like someone had torn into her stomach and ripped out her intestines. Sobbing, she fell off the table and hit her wing on the floor. Daniel watched, impassive. Cosmo needed her right now and she hadn't been quick enough. His thoughts were a blur, incoherent and full of anguish. Wanda didn't think; she shot straight up and grabbed the wands out of his hand with her beak. She thought she might have pecked Daniel, and maybe she had, but she wasn't going to react to it.

Instead, she surged out the window with the wands in her beak and hoped for the best. Cosmo's upset affected her own and she didn't realize she could have summoned him to her with the wands. Instead, she beat a path through the air and sent frantic messages.

"Cosmo..." she whimpered.

The front door slammed open and, clad only in slippers, Daniel ran after her. She halted, torn between her worry over her husband and her duty as a godmother. Worry won out and she pelted for Cosmo. She thought Daniel was shouting at her, but she couldn't hear him.

"Wanda, I order you to halt!" Daniel snapped, near the stream she'd sprained her ankle. Wanda paused and hovered, whining in agitation.

"Cosmo needs me," she said. "He might die without me. You have to let me save him."

"Like you saved my mother?" he said scathingly. "You said you could grant any wish."

"That Da Rules allows," she moaned. "Please, I'm begging you."

"And I begged you and you didn't deliver," he said harshly.

"I can't stay here," she said. "I'm sorry, but I have to go."

"I wish you'd stay," he said scathingly. Wanda froze. Beneath her fur, she had gone completely stiff and horrified. She'd never outright denied a wish before, but the yearning was too strong. Lingering here would be excruciating, to say the least. Mouth agape, she stared at her godson.

"Please," she begged. "Anything but that."

"I wish," he said and grinned from ear to ear, "you'd stay here. You have to grant it. No choice."

Wanda's mouth dropped as far as it could go and she absently shifted back into faerie form. Her ankle, she was disturbed to discover, had swollen. However, it paled in comparison to what she felt through her link to Cosmo. Daniel had ordered her to stay, and she had to stay, or else she'd be explaining to Jorgen why she couldn't. But if Cosmo died because she wasn't there to protect him, and he was counting on her to come back...

Cosmo's scream tore through her mind and she abandoned all pretense of being a decent godmother to this awful, monstrous child. Jorgen could punish them all he wanted later. She didn't care what happened to her, as long as Cosmo was alive and safe. Daniel might have been chasing after her, but she no longer cared. She flung her mind open wide to her beloved and, using the wands, changed into a rampaging rhino. It didn't matter if it didn't match the environment or how angry Daniel might be getting.

The wand had healed her ankle, too, and she pawed the ground near the wolves. Without allowing them a chance to contemplate their moves, she plowed them into trees, slammed her horn into their heads, and smacked them around. Trees fell. The ground sank beneath her massive weight and Wanda continued, prepared to murder anyone who came within inches of Cosmo.

"Wait! Stop!" Daniel said, throwing his hands up. Wanda snorted and lowered her head. Cosmo yelped.

((Wait!)) he called and sent a weak mollification through her. It paused her and she contemplated her godson with her poor vision.

Whatever Daniel had intended to say, it was lost in the giant cloud arising and Jorgen slamming his wand into the ground. He glowered at Cosmo and Wanda and, with another jab, transformed them back into faeries. He grabbed them in one huge fist. Cosmo's shirt was soaked with blood and Jorgen paused, his fingers coated with it. Startled, he looked at Daniel and then at Cosmo and Wanda.

"What is going on here?" Jorgen demanded.

"I request a transfer," Daniel snapped.

"You tried to kill us!" Wanda retorted. "And you tried to keep me from Cosmo-"

"Wait a minute," Jorgen said and squeezed Cosmo tighter. The green haired fairy turned blue.

"...can't...breathe..." he panted. Wanda groped for her wand, waved it, and healed her beloved, also replacing his clothing. Daniel sneered, but he had a faraway gleam in his eyes.

"Is this true?" Jorgen thundered. "Did you try to murder your fairy godparents?"

Daniel looked down and then back up. Lips curled, he said, "I want a transfer. Now."

Jorgen pounded his wand on the ground and brought them back to Fairy World. Wanda groaned, grateful Cosmo was alive but more than a little worried about how Jorgen was going to take the news.  
**

* * *

**

"Wait," Timmy said. "You're telling me the worst godson you've ever had _also_ tried to kill you?"

He folded his arms across his chest. "How exactly does that make us different?"

Cosmo and Wanda exchanged a look. "Uh..."

"He was just a bastard," Tootie suggested. "And you were brainwashed."

Timmy glared. "I don't really see the difference."

"Hang on, we've got more!" Cosmo promised. Wanda groaned. Sad but true.

"The only difference I see is that Jorgen actually cared last time," Timmy jeered. "What the hell is keeping him from noticing us now?"

"That's a very good question, sport..." Wanda said. She and Cosmo exchanged a look. "I don't know..."

"But it's getting late, so we should go to bed," Cosmo said. "Night!"

"It's only seven thirty," Timmy said blankly.

"Yeah, well, early to bed and early to rise makes something something...uh, line?"

((Why _isn't_ Jorgen monitoring us?))

((I don't know...))

It was a disquieting thought that lingered.


	13. And the Plot Thickens

Chapter Thirteen: And the Plot Thickens…

Wanda lay awake that night pondering the question. It had occurred to her at odd intervals during Timmy's training, and now, in the light of everything, Wanda couldn't let it rest. Cosmo had tried to tune it out and attempted to sleep. He slept in fits, tossing and turning, and she knew her physical proximity coupled with her agitation prevented him from sleeping. It wasn't fair. At least one of them should get some sleep.

Grabbing her wand, she popped into Timmy's room. Her godson lay awake, staring at the ceiling, and she settled on his bed in cat form. He shifted position and curled up, lying lengthwise across the bed.

"Wanda?" Timmy inquired. "What are you doing here?" He consulted the clock. "It's...two in the morning. Shouldn't you and Cosmo be avoiding me now?"

"I've been thinking," she said and sighed. "Jorgen isn't paying attention to us. That either means something much worse is going on in Fairy World...or he knows what's going on and won't get involved for some reason. The last time he got involved was months back, when The Other had murdered your parents and he named us guardians."

"And your point is what?" Timmy said. "That it's only a matter of time before he shows up and starts ranting and raving again?"

"No..." she said. She rose from her spot and inched closer to him. Timmy reached out to stroke her head and she flinched, pulling back. Timmy lowered his hand and grimaced.

"Right after Daniel tried to murder us, Jorgen appeared and we had a trial," she said. "We were found innocent in our actions. And it's not just Daniel. Every time something happens with a godchild, Jorgen is usually front and center, ready to mete out whatever justice he feels necessary. So where is he?"

"He's sick of us and decided to quit his day job?" Timmy suggested.

"No," she said. "He's avoiding us. That's gotta be it. Why else would he outright ignore you trying to murder us in the last few months _and_ The Other, an anti faerie, trying to sabotage a human town?"

Timmy shuddered. "No offense, Wanda, but considering how pissed you guys were (and probably still are) at me for letting, I'm not really sure I want to talk to Jorgen about this. Or have him know about it in any way, shape, or form."

"But...but Jorgen's supposed to be about faerie welfare. Why would he stand around and let it happen?"

"Maybe because he knew it wouldn't?" Timmy suggested. "Or maybe you're over thinking it and we should be glad Jorgen isn't here to kill us all."

He winced. "Bad choice of words."

Unconsciously, he reached out for her and Wanda hissed, stepping backward on the bed. He shifted into a sitting position, Indian style, and stared at his godmother. Wanda's fur stood on end and she was shaking. Timmy scowled.

"You know, you could give me a little more credit," he said. "I haven't raised a hand to you since I came home. I'm not trying to kill you right now."

"I know that, sport, but...you did almost kill us. And..."

"And you're afraid of me. I noticed."

Wanda hung her head and nuzzled his wrist. Timmy rubbed the sides of her neck and she froze, and then stepped back again. He sighed.

"Too much?"

"I'm afraid so."

He stretched out on the bed and stared at the ceiling again. Wanda lapsed into thought again, her queries turning into fury Jorgen was obviously avoiding them. No other explanation sufficed. Why had he let it escalate so far? In the past, he'd always stepped in, regardless of whether they wanted his intrusion. And now...

"Hey, Wanda?"

She lifted her head and blinked at him.

"I'm kinda scared too."

"What do you mean, sport?" she said and locked gazes with him.

"The Other brainwashed me so easily. It was like one second, I could think for myself, and the next, all I could think about doing was hurting you guys."

She flinched and suppressed a whimper. Armed with the transistor and The Other's superior fighting skills, not to mention their own desire not to harm their godson, he really could have killed them. It was a fact Cosmo kept toting, and it rang true in her head once again. She could feel her fur standing on end.

"What if it happens again? What if he takes over again and hurts you guys through me?" he swallowed hard. "Or worse- what if he succeeds...and I don't remember it and all I do remember is..." He swallowed hard and his skin acquired a green tint. "If I hadn't shoved you guys away, you could have been able to stop it."

Wanda was silent. She couldn't think of a response, and, instead, padded up to him again. She rubbed her head against his hand and allowed him to pet her. He drew her close to his body and they could feel each other shudder.

"I'm really sorry for what happened. You gotta believe me. I love you and Cosmo more than anything. Well, almost anything. But I do really love you guys."

"I know, sweetie," she said, tucked into Timmy's arm. "But..."

She transformed back into her faerie self and Timmy's eyes narrowed. "Why is there always a 'but' now?"

Gnawing on the inside of her mouth, she said, "Now that I think about it, it's not a 'but' so much as a concern. We have Jorgen ignoring us on one hand and Lorenzo's source of power on the other."

"And on the third hand, we have you and Cosmo not trusting me at all!" Timmy snapped.

"No one has three hands," she said, somewhat distracted, and thinking of Cosmo.

"That's not the point," he snapped. "You two don't trust me, you get into fights because of me, and now you can't sleep. I just wish I could wish away The Other!"

"You can't wish him away," she said. "You can only kill him. We could send him away for a while, but he'd always return. He's drawn to you."

"I wish he wasn't," Timmy grumbled. Wanda groaned.

"I wish we had jurisdiction over anti faeries," she said. "You know we don't."

"Could you at least make it so I can get some sleep? Please?"

"Can do, sport," she said and held up her wand. Timmy fell fast asleep and she sighed, thinking perhaps she ought to repeat the process on herself. Swooping down in her faerie form, she kissed him on the forehead and he moaned, reaching out for her in his sleep. She froze and grimaced. She had to do right by him someday, when she wasn't so terrified.

She transported back into the club house and discovered Cosmo on his side, sprawled across the bed. He sleep sent her a message.

((Wanda?))

((Go back to sleep, sweetie. I'm okay.))

((But...where were you?))

((I was with Timmy.))

Cosmo bolted upright, no longer half asleep but fully awake. ((You were with Timmy without me?))

((It was only for a little while, sugar, and he can't sleep either.))

Cosmo was silent. His usual retort he couldn't muster anymore and she crawled into bed beside him. Cosmo wrapped his arms around her and she sighed, nestling into them. He kissed her neck, her shoulder, her ear, and then nuzzled the curl above her right ear. She smiled.

((I love you.)) she sent.

((I love you too...)) he said and, in an instant, he was fast asleep again.

Grasping her wand again, she cast a sleep spell on herself. Even with magic's aid, her dreams continued to be troubled and she found herself unable to get any true rest.

* * *

Cosmo awoke and Wanda wasn't there. Panic stricken, he popped into Timmy's room. Timmy was conferring with Tootie quietly, the two sitting on his bed with their heads together. Tootie had her hand on a razor box and seemed to be quiet yet insistent.

"Have either of you seen Wanda?" Cosmo said and grabbed the razor box. He shook it and the razors fell onto the floor. "Wanda? Wanda!"

"She didn't turn herself into a razor," Tootie scoffed. "The last time I saw her, she was in the kitchen trying not to kill Vicky."

"You left Wanda with Vicky?" Timmy and Cosmo said in unison.

Tootie shrugged. "Sure. Vicky may be a bitch, but Wanda's got an unlimited power source and more magic than she knows what to do with. I figured she was safe."

"And it's not like she tried to _kill _anyone recently," Cosmo snapped and Timmy glared.

"That's where she is," Tootie said flatly. "If you're done accusing Timmy, we have things to discuss."

"Wanda didn't mention to you how obsessed she is with Jorgen now?" Timmy asked Cosmo.

"No...should she have?" Cosmo blinked.

Timmy shook his head. Fixing him a strange look, Cosmo disappeared out of his godson's room and into the kitchen where Wanda and Vicky were having a very unpleasant conversation including veiled threats. Wanda had started out cooking breakfast, but had turned the flame off on the pancakes to glare at Vicky. Her hair, Cosmo noticed, was one notch off from burning them. Whenever Wanda was this angry, people tended to get hurt.

"I _know _you shouldn't know about us," Wanda snapped.

"And it's your fault I do," Vicky retorted. "You granted that stupid fucking wish and let The Other rape me."

"We didn't let him do anything!" Wanda snarled. Her hair began to glow blue, a warning sign it was about to burst into flames. "And if Jorgen had been on top of things, it wouldn't have happened-"

"Yeah, well, he wasn't," Vicky growled. "Maybe he doesn't give a shit about you. Hah, hah. Maybe he'd rather you two were dead so he wouldn't have to clean up your messes."

Wanda's fire shot straight up toward the ceiling and Cosmo conjured a shield to protect himself.

"You ungrateful little brat," she snapped. "We did the best we could in a bad situation. Timmy getting an anti faerie wasn't entirely our fault-"

"Oh, no, just 99.999% percent!" Vicky jumped to her feet and Wanda zoomed closer, fire licking the ceiling fan and setting it ablaze.

"Most godchildren who wished to be faeries didn't have anti faerie equivalents," Wanda snapped. "This is the first time in centuries this happened, and the last time wasn't to us."

"Oh, so you beat the odds. Congrats," Vicky snorted. "I'm so happy for you."

Wanda inhaled shakily, looking like she wanted nothing more than to strangle the nineteen year old. She hissed and her tongue was forked. Cosmo thought she might have some dragon shape shifter blood in her from a few generations back.

"Forgetting it won't help," Wanda said. "The Other is still after you."

"Again, your fault," Vicky said. "Or maybe Jorgen's ignoring you because you can't do anything right-"

Wanda grabbed her wand and Cosmo grabbed her wrist before she did something hasty like use her wand to slam Vicky into the wall. He wasn't saying she didn't deserve it, but Wanda violent was really, really scary.

"You can't even blast me into oblivion," Vicky scoffed. "Useless faeries."

Wanda jerked her wrist out of Cosmo's grip, ignored Cosmo's frantic telepathic plea, and hit Vicky with a yellow blast of energy. It sent the teenager flying out the kitchen into the living room and then into the mantelpiece. Vicky, dazed, stared up at Wanda, who had murder emblazoned in her gaze and in her fiery hair, and who stormed in after her. Cosmo hung back, afraid if he tried getting involved any further, Wanda would shoot _him _into random places in the Turners' house. They heard footsteps on the stairs and Wanda snarled, whipping about in mid air. Timmy froze, hand on the balustrade, and started to back up. The color had drained from his face.

"Bad time?" Tootie squeaked.

"Maybe..." Vicky started and Wanda pivoted, returning to glare at her.

"Maybe _what_?" she spat.

"Never mind..." Vicky murmured. Not even she was brave enough to face a faerie that had, with one fell swoop, given her a nice little concussion and smashed various vases and pottery on the mantelpiece. She groaned, falling onto the floor, and brought a portrait down on her head. There was blood matted on her head and Wanda waved her wand again, ridding Vicky of it. She didn't help her up, however, and her eyes were still blazing with suppressed fury.

"We're going to Fairy World," she announced, as if waiting for Timmy and Cosmo to refute her. They didn't. Timmy's words died on his lips and Cosmo wanted to hide. Tootie alone matched her gaze.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" she said. Wanda lowered her wand and considered her.

"We need answers," Wanda said. The fire in her hair died out and returned to its normal vibrant pink shade. "The Other's reign has gone on long enough without anyone interfering. I want to know what's going on."

She drifted over to Timmy and Tootie and offered the girl a tiny smile. "Cal being murdered marks the first faerie/anti faerie murder in hundreds of years too and Jorgen didn't lift a finger to stop it."

"I know..." Tootie said faintly.

"But what if Jorgen decides to take you guys away from me and erase history?" Timmy said. He hung his head. "I know I don't really deserve you-"

"He won't," Wanda said and popped up a copy of Da Rules. "Article 36, sub section e, paragraph 48.2 reads- 'in the event a human godchild loses his parents during a godparents' act of duty, the godparents immediately assume the role of legal guardians'. Regardless of how it happened, we're your guardians now."

"But what about..." He looked down at his wrists, where the scars used to be. His eyes widened. "I can't stand to lose you guys."

Wanda hugged him and trembled slightly. Cosmo swooped in and hugged him too; they both began to shake. Timmy wrapped his arms around them both and Wanda pecked her godson on the cheek.

"We'll be okay," Wanda said with a confidence she didn't feel. She offered Tootie a hand. "We're going to get some answers, and we're coming and going together."


	14. Look What the Cat Dragged In

Chapter Fourteen: Look What the Cat Dragged In

Wanda and Cosmo transported them to Fairy World and, upon spying Timmy, faeries ran in fear. Tootie grabbed his hand and Timmy gawked, mouth agape. He stomped his foot.

"What the heck is going on?" he demanded.

"Is there something in my teeth?" Cosmo asked and smiled at Wanda so she could check. She shook her head. An ominous sensation gripped her and her stomach flip flopped. In tune with her mood, her wand flashed dangerously and more faeries screamed. Within seconds, the area was clear.

"Jorgen knows we're here," Wanda snapped. "I'd be willing to bet."

"Are you sure there's nothing in my teeth?" Cosmo asked and produced a mirror to check.

"And now everyone in Fairy World is afraid of me?" Timmy scoffed. "That's ridiculous. I didn't do anything to _them_."

"Perhaps they've heard of what The Other has done," Tootie said. She shivered.

"I didn't do anything," Timmy repeated, defensive. "I didn't threaten to kill all of them! Why are they treating me like a criminal?"

"I don't know," Wanda said and waved her wand again. "But we're going to get to the bottom of this."

They reappeared in the faerie equivalent of City Hall. The Tooth Fairy worked the telephones, along with a couple faerie secretaries. The faerie secretaries shrieked and vanished in thin air. The Tooth Fairy lingered and trembled. Her gaze skittered around the room, reluctant to look at Timmy. Tootie growled and stepped in front of him.

"What's going on here?" Wanda demanded, hair beginning to crackle.

"Jorgen," The Tooth Fairy swallowed hard, "warned us he might be coming."

"An idiot could see that," Wanda remarked scathingly. "Why is everyone running in terror from my godson? He hasn't done anything and he's not on trial."

"He almost killed you two," the Tooth Fairy said. "Who knows what he might be plotting?"

"Ahem," Timmy said and cleared his throat very loudly. "I'm Timmy. I'm right in front of you. And I want to know what's going on. And no, I am _not _plotting anything. Wanda wants to see Jorgen. We came along."

The Tooth Fairy finally looked at Wanda, Cosmo, and Tootie. Her gaze lingered on Tootie and she winced. The fear vanished, replaced by sympathy, and she squeezed Tootie's shoulder. Tootie glared in response, squeezing Timmy's hand to display where her loyalties laid.

"I'll go get him," she said and disappeared too.

"It's bad enough you two treat me like I'm a murderer," Timmy snapped, glowering at Cosmo and Wanda. "Now all of Fairy World thinks I am too?"

"Jorgen's watching us without telling us," Tootie said. "It's gotta be that."

Wanda's hands balled into fists. "He knew what was going on and didn't step in?"

"We could have died!" Cosmo said.

"Why?" Wanda said and her tone was hard, clipped. "Why abandon us?"

In a flash, Jorgen appeared. Faerie dust swirled and then settled, making everyone cough. He waved it away with his wand and pounded it on the floor.

"You wanted to see me, puny little faerie?" he snapped.

"Yes," Wanda snapped. "I did." She zoomed up toward his face. "You abandoned us and then told Fairy World about us without our permission."

"There are worse concerns than what is going on in your universe," Jorgen said. "I have only recently become aware of the problems The Others pose."

"The Others?" Tootie inquired. "Plural?"

"Yes," Jorgen said. "It seems other versions of him have appeared in other dimensions."

"That doesn't answer why you almost let us die," Cosmo said. He wasn't as angry as Wanda, more awed by Jorgen's presence at the moment. He hung back near Timmy.

"These other universes have fared far worse under The Other than ours," Jorgen said.

"That's all well and good for them that you're helping them," Wanda said. "But what about us? Timmy could have killed us, you know. You were supposed to step in and stop it. You were supposed to prevent this from ever happening and you just stood back and let it."

"Are you done accusing me?" Jorgen snapped.

"No," she shot back. "I'm not. Your duty is to protect us and rule Fairy World, and you left us to handle the situation without you."

"Yeah, don't you care about us?" Cosmo snapped.

"You are not dead, correct?" Jorgen snapped back.

"That isn't the point!" Timmy said, surprising himself by joining Cosmo and Wanda. "Weren't you supposed to show up and smack some sense into me? Meanwhile, The Other is still running around Dimmsdale and you're not stopping him either."

"It is too late to stop him," Jorgen said. "But his power is considerably less, since he cannot draw off Anti Fairy World's power conduit."

"You aren't answering the question," Wanda snapped. "You're dodging it. Why?"

Jorgen looked around to ensure they were alone before speaking. "Anti faeries, for centuries, have been causing havoc and mayhem. But their brand of evil never gets any worse than minor injuries. The last time a humanoid anti faerie appeared, he devastated almost all of Fairy World."

"So?" Timmy snapped. "Lorenzo- The Other- killed people."

"If you had more patience, tiny Timmy Turner," Jorgen snarled, "you would let me get to the point without interrupting!"

Timmy silenced and Jorgen resumed.

"My predecessor dealt with the last humanoid anti faerie, not I," Jorgen said. "I should have stepped in immediately." He shot Timmy a look, because the boy had opened his mouth to add 'yes, you should'.

"However, The Other has murdered more than ten people to date, and, though it pains me to admit it, especially to two human children and two puny faeries...I was afraid. Lorenzo has more powers than he thinks he does, though he does not know how to tap into them. Should he choose to, he can render a faerie's magic inert and disable them."

"He also brainwashed me, took advantage of me, and almost killed Cosmo and Wanda through me," Timmy snapped. "Or did you forget?"

"I did not forget," he growled. "I am well aware of their predicament."

Wanda and Cosmo seemed struck dumb by this pronouncement. It made sense. If their leader was afraid, how could he act and protect his constituents? True, he should have stepped up and defended them anyway, but there had never been a murdering anti faerie in Fairy World's history, to their knowledge. The Other was a multiple murderer, too, and born from a child. Wanda cast a glance at Timmy and succumbed to an overwhelming urge to clasp him tightly. He had created a monster that had ultimately turned on him.

"You seem to have recovered from your prior distrust," Jorgen remarked.

"Timmy was cutting himself," Cosmo said, and because the statement didn't feel drastic enough, he added, "On purpose!"

"Thanks, Cosmo," Timmy said acidly. "He really didn't need to know that."

"Yet I see no cuts on him," Jorgen said.

"I healed him," Wanda said. Her eyes widened. "How are we supposed to protect ourselves against The Other if you can't even help us?"

"The worst should be over," Jorgen said. "He only really has power drawing it from Timmy. He hasn't learned of any other power sources."

"Great, and if I end up in The Other's hands again?" Timmy said.

Jorgen stared at him and a chill went down the group's spines. "You will."

"Well, do something!" Wanda growled. "Stop this! Stop him! It's your job as the ruler of Fairy World!"

"I am too busy planning how to fix the other universes," Jorgen said.

"_Fix this one_!" Wanda shrieked and brought her face right up against Jorgen's. "You aren't afraid now, are you? How can you plot to save other universes and abandon us? You were always there when we needed you! And we've always been there for you!"

"Yeah," Cosmo said in a broken voice, "I thought we were friends."

Jorgen looked uncomfortable. "I have agreed with the other versions of me to help them before it's too late."

"So you left us to die!" Wanda cried. Cosmo nodded and his lower lip quivered. Wanda was growing angry and Cosmo was upset in another fashion. Wanda could feel it distantly, beneath her fury. He felt betrayed.

"I will try to limit The Other's power-"

"That isn't good enough!" she said. "You already said he'll grab Timmy again. We can't do this on our own. We're not strong enough."

"My hands are tied," he said and sighed. "The Other's powers are beyond what I can control. I can render him ineffective, but not for another month. And even then, it will not succeed entirely."

"Another month?" Wanda snapped. "Why? What is so important?"

"Preparations have to be made elsewhere," he said.

"Bullshit," Wanda said and Cosmo, Timmy, and Tootie gawked at her. Even Jorgen did a double take. Her hair flamed and her lower lip curled in disdain. "You know, we used to be friends, but now I think you're useless. You're just trying to cover yourself. You don't give a damn whether we live or die. C'mon, Timmy, Tootie, Cosmo. Let's go. He's not going to help us. We're just wasting our time."

Without waiting for his response, she transported them back to Earth and blasted a hole through Timmy's wall. In a few seconds, she had transformed herself into a fiery cat and tore his room to pieces. Timmy, Tootie, and Cosmo gawked. Then, with a pop, she disappeared again. It would be better to take her anger out on someone who wasn't mortal.

Cosmo's lower lip quivered. "Wanda..."

"What did she think he was going to say?" Tootie said.

"I dunno," Timmy said. "But I don't think I've ever seen her so angry."

"I have," Cosmo said and Timmy and Tootie stared at him. "She burned a city down once."

"You never told me that," Timmy said. Cosmo's eyes were huge.

"It was a city in Fairy World," he said. "And Big Daddy almost killed me for visiting her without his permission. Big Daddy really doesn't like me..."

"I know," Timmy said sarcastically. "I noticed."

"I wonder what she'd be like as a dark sided faerie," Tootie said and shuddered. "I bet she'd be scary."

Cosmo nodded and gulped. He waved his wand and fixed Timmy's room, then descended to land on a cushion. Timmy retired to his bed and stared at the ceiling. He could distantly feel Cosmo's trepidation, and Tootie's curiosity prompted him to lift his head to regard her.

"I'm bored," she said. "Also, I don't think we've done any shopping since you came home. We could use some presents under our Christmas tree."

Smiling at him, she offered him her hand and he took it. Cosmo jumped up too.

"I'll come too," he offered and grimaced. "I don't wanna be alone, and I really don't wanna face Wanda when she comes back."

"Okay," Tootie said. "Let's go."


	15. Send in the Clowns

Chapter Fifteen: Send in the Clowns

Lorenzo DeMedici was bored. Usually, when he was bored, his mind gravitated to Timmy Turner. At the moment, Timmy had blocked him, so his mind gravitated to a new subject, attempting to reach the minds of small children. He'd already run into two of Dimmsdale's finest with godparents, and plucked thoughts of their infantile faerie minds. Through them, he had learned of a new power source located in the nascent Anti Fairy World, where he might be able to amplify the power source he had lost through the dissolution of his connection to Timmy. And now...he had discovered something else.

"This, Molly, is what happens when people get desperate," a black, gloomy faerie in disguise informed her goth goddaughter. The girl wore a black t-shirt with skulls and bones on it, her hair was done back in a ponytail, and she had a choker around her neck. She wore a similar skirt to Tootie's, except hers was shorter and she wore black leather laced up boots with fishnets. Judging by her blossoming figure, he pegged her to be about twelve, close to thirteen. In other words, she was Timmy's age. His heart leapt in his chest. She might even know Timmy.

Molly and her faerie godmother stopped in front of Lorenzo and his eyes gleamed. Molly's lower lip curled in disdain. Despite her attire, she had a pretty, heart shaped face.

"And who are you supposed to be?" she said. "An overgrown elf?"

He'd forgotten to change his height this morning, but had befuddled his employers and fellow employees into forgetting. Using a mental wave, he cast deep into Molly's memories. There was nothing in the surface to suggest she knew Timmy, but he dug deeper. Molly cried out and he clamped a hand over her mouth. No one was looking- the entire line had converged to see Santa, and Lorenzo was off to the side, near the bathrooms. The faerie in disguise, as a pin on her shirt, flinched.

"Molly, he's not human..." she warned. Molly groaned and her eyelids fluttered. The Other cast about deeper, searching through memories less recent. There he found Timmy, eleven years old, working to wean himself off magic. Unfortunately, her memories were overladen with apathy, since she hadn't cared for Timmy. He soaked them up and felt a hot wand pressed into his chest.

"Leave my goddaughter alone," the faerie snarled. The Other could have bothered to dig up her name, but he didn't care. She was just a stupid frach, like Wanda.

"I'm done with her," Lorenzo said and shoved her to the side. Molly moaned and stared at him. Her expression was dazed.

"Anti faerie," the frach spat. Lorenzo shrugged. The power source in Anti Fairy World compelled him. Now all he needed was transportation. He snatched the pin off Molly's shirt (frach and girl alike yelped) and dug around for the faerie's hidden wand. He discovered it as the pin backing and dropped the rest to the ground. He balanced his heel on it and the girl's attitude vanished. Her already unusually pale face blanched further and her lower lip quivered.

"Please, don't hurt her..." Molly pleaded. Lorenzo slammed his heel on the pin and heard her scream. He tossed the wand in the air and, checking to make sure Molly and her squashed faerie godmother weren't an immediate threat, he transported himself to Anti Fairy World. The magic swept him up, made him feel light and airy instead of dark and brooding, and he almost laughed. He'd never used a faerie's wand before. Maybe he'd steal Wanda's before he killed her.

Anti Fairy World was a dismal, dank place with no sun, only a sullen half moon in the sky. He had never been among his anti faerie brethren before and chills coursed up and down his spine. The anti faeries paused, staring at him, and he stared back. Where he'd arrived was in the middle of a square, with huts surrounding it. The huts had blackened straw roofs, the equivalent of those in Fairy World, and barred doors and windows. In front of him was a well, which had long gone bad, and, on either side, forward and behind, laid streets. He saw the corrupted star in the distance, its tower bent and crooked, giving off a dim glow. Every cell in his body felt energized, like it hadn't been since he'd stolen Timmy's energy months ago.

"You're not an anti faerie," Anti Wanda said and he snarled, balling his fists. He wanted to strangle her, this blue skinned equivalent to the loathsome Wanda. "You're _human_."

He linked into the Anti Fairy World power structure, like he had keyed into Timmy's energy. Power, more power than he had ever dreamed of, ran through his veins. He unleashed it in a torrent and blasted Anti Wanda into a hut. It connected him to her, which he could have done without, but he had the distinct pleasure of feeling her body jarred and slide down onto the ground. He vacated before Anti Cosmo came to investigate and felt like cheering. With this power, he could be anything, do anything. He could murder Cosmo and Wanda and they wouldn't be able to stop him. He could kidnap Timmy and force him to be his slave and no one could say boo.

He strolled through the streets and looked for a way to permanently tie this power to his own. How could he have never known about this world? It was like Molly, her faerie, and Anti Fairy World had arrived years after he had been born, and in order to incorporate them, someone had to omit another very important person. The Other sneered. That was about as likely as Cosmo and Wanda having a son with a stupid name like Poof. Then he'd have three faeries to kill, instead of two.

The transistor in his pocket hummed and transformed into a bracelet link. It absorbed the power and distributed it through his blood stream. Dark power sang through his body and he tossed the stolen frach's wand up and down. He had no need of it now. Everything should fall into place now.

However, considering he was in Anti Fairy World, he ought to see the sights and plan out his idea more thoroughly. Killing Cosmo and Wanda had been his idea for months, but what if he had a way to prolong the pain? Cosmo and Wanda had more than one weakness, it was true. He had no idea how their telepathy and Bond worked. Anti Fairy World was connected to Fairy World, and he should be able to reach the library with no problem. It was time to read up and change his plan. Besides, no one wanted a boring, predictable villain. They were no fun at all.  
**

* * *

**

Wanda had calmed down. She thought she was calm, at any rate. She'd grounded her emotions quite nicely, and decided it was best to return to her family. Besides, they needed her now more than she needed to be furious at Jorgen. Just in case, she cast a soothing spell over them, since Cosmo seemed rather jumpy around her at the moment...

Tootie, Timmy, Cosmo, and Wanda arrived at the mall during a shopping frenzy. Timmy watched, bemused, as a woman rushed past them and nearly trampled them. Cosmo and Wanda shifted, instead of being in disguise, to human adults. Wanda placed her hands on Timmy's shoulders and Cosmo grabbed Tootie to guide them through the mall without becoming part of the floor. At least, this was until Cosmo got distracted by jewelry.

"But, Wanda, look at how sparkly it is!" Cosmo protested. Wanda groaned and jerked him away.

"Hey, guys?" Timmy said and Cosmo and Wanda stared at him. "We don't have any money."

"We still have what Cal earned," Tootie pointed out and her face fell. Wanda squeezed her shoulder and Tootie took out a coin purse stuffed with money. She mutely handed it over and Timmy felt an uncontrollable urge to cut. It was his fault Cal was dead. He avoided looking at the trio and Wanda counted the money.

Cosmo darted across the hallway and managed to avoid running into anyone. He pressed his face against the window and laughed as the puppies behind the glass jumped up and barked at him. Timmy had a disconnect, no longer able to laugh and lose himself like a child. He blocked himself off from Tootie and suddenly wished he were anywhere but here. Happy children were bubbling along the mall hallways and stores. Parents were excited, discussing their Christmas plans, and Timmy had his little family, grown littler after Halloween's events, and nothing to be thankful, save that he hadn't killed his godparents.

His heart sank. What a thing to be thankful for.

Tootie ran across the hallway to join Cosmo with the dogs. Wanda lingered, putting the money back in the coin purse.

"Sport, it's almost Christmas," she said. "Forget about The Other. We're here to have fun."

"It's my fault Cal's dead," Timmy muttered. He looked up at her. "I almost killed you guys."

"I know," she murmured. "I don't want to think about that right now. Do you?"

He didn't respond and she hugged him. He stood on his heels and kissed her on the cheek. His eyes burned with unshed tears and she hugged him tighter. He could feel her tremble and hated it.

"I love you," he whispered. "You and Cosmo. And Tootie. I'll never love Vicky, though."

Wanda smiled and kissed him on the head. "Forget about it right now, okay? Go be a child for once."

He looked down at the floor. "I don't think I know how."

"Of course you do," she said and released him. "Look, it's Darth Laser and Flipsie." She grinned. "Why won't it flip?"

"Wanda," he said and she stared. "You try _way_ too hard."

"Or maybe you aren't trying hard enough," she teased. She dashed across the hallway and dragged Timmy with him. "Look, sport, puppies!"

"Aw!" Tootie and Cosmo chorused. The puppies were now capering around, tackling each other and barking at Cosmo. Cosmo had magicked a crown on one of them and Wanda smacked Cosmo's hand lightly.

"We're supposed to be human, remember?" she chastised.

"But, look, it's a baby faerie!" he said. "Poof!"

Wanda slapped a palm to her face. "Take it off. Now."

"But, but...Poof!" Cosmo protested. Wanda stared at him and, drooping, he removed it. The dog in question barked and licked the window where Cosmo stood. Cosmo laughed and beamed at it. Wanda smiled too, jabbing Cosmo in the ribs. Her hand sought his and squeezed. Cosmo wrapped an arm around her waist.

"Can we get a puppy? We can name it Vicky," Tootie said.

Wanda stared at her. "Why would you want to do that?"

"So I can say 'bad Vicky! Don't pee on the rug!'" Tootie said, smiling innocently. "And, 'No, Vicky, don't chew on that! You need to get fixed!'"

"Not to mention, 'No, that's my steak! Mine, not yours!'" Timmy said, smiling.

"That's it, Vicky! You're sleeping outside!" Tootie said.

"If Vicky craps outside, do we have to clean it up?" Cosmo asked.

"We are _not_ getting a puppy to name it Vicky," Wanda said and Timmy, Tootie, and Cosmo chorused a disappointed 'aw'.

"Why not?" Cosmo said. "We won't treat it like all of Timmy's other pets that died in summer camp."

"Camp, camp, camp..." came the echo. Timmy blinked. That was weird.

"Because then we'll have two bitches named Vicky in the house," Wanda said with a straight face. "And Cosmo and I have done enough cleaning up after her crap."

Timmy, Tootie, and Cosmo burst out laughing. After a while, Wanda joined in and the group stood there, arms around each other, laughing hysterically. It was a long time before they stopped, and people kept giving them strange looks, which only made them laugh harder. Tootie wiped tears from eyes.

"I can only imagine the ruckus when we try to get Vicky fixed and Timmy 'accidentally' takes the wrong one to the vet," Wanda said.

Timmy snickered. "Can I get her fixed?"

"We can't fix humans," Wanda said. "It's against Da Rules."

"Yeah, Timmy," Cosmo said. "Why do you think stupid people keep breeding?"

"Because there's no law against it?" Timmy suggested.

"Sure," Cosmo said. "That's it."

The store owner came out to give them dirty looks, and, reluctantly, they vacated the spot. They passed the Disney Store, Hot Topic, and other mall staples. Tootie suggested the book store, Timmy offered a prolonged yawn in retort, and Wanda overrode Timmy's objection. Cosmo added an objection too, until she sent him a mental message and he changed his tune.

Three against one, they trudged up to the book store on the second floor. Timmy kept imagining a dog with Vicky's hair and snickering. He sent the image to Tootie, who snickered too. Meanwhile, Cosmo and Wanda were leaning against each other and acting like teenagers, sneaking kisses and rubbing each other's back. On the escalator, Cosmo drew Wanda in for a deeper, longer kiss and held her tightly.

"Timmy," Tootie said and Timmy turned to look at her. The happy aura clung to his godparents and when Wanda broke the kiss after the escalator reached the second floor, Cosmo responded by kissing her again.

"What?" he said. She pointed up. Mistletoe hung in clumps all over and she grinned at him.

"Merry Christmas, my love," she said. He smiled weakly and she kissed him on the lips. It wasn't a deep, lingering one like Cosmo and Wanda, but it was soft and sweet.

((I love you.))

Cosmo and Wanda rubbed noses and he ran his fingers over her hair.

In unison, Cosmo, Wanda, and Tootie sent to their respective mates, ((You are forever mine.))


	16. Romantic Interlude

Chapter Sixteen: Romantic Interlude

Cosmo and Wanda broke off from Timmy and Tootie in the bookstore. Predictably, Tootie gravitated to the romance novels and Timmy mimed projectile vomiting. Tootie rolled her eyes and pointed to the ceiling. The bookstore was busy, more people clustered in the gift boxes and DVD section than the books, however. At the moment, they were buried amongst the stacks, with Cosmo and Wanda a couple rows away.

"I don't see anything," Timmy said. "Except some stupid girly-"

Tootie covered her mouth with his and wrapped her arms around him. She licked his lips and he moaned, opening his mouth for her. Their tongues battled for a while and Tootie draped her arms around Timmy's neck. Timmy felt warm and loved, for the first time in a long time, and capable of receiving and giving affection, instead of what had happened with The Other. He stiffened, thinking of his counterpart, and Tootie mentally caressed his mind. She broke off the kiss and laid her forehead along his.

"I love you, Timmy Turner, and don't you forget it," she warned.

"Uh, okay..." he said and she covered his face with kisses. Then she pushed him up against the bookshelf and leaned her whole body against his. He could feel the beginning curves, the heat of her body, and her peach lotion. He inhaled deeply and she sucked on his neck. His body tingled and he shuddered, kissing her again in order to forget about The Other's impact.

Tootie gladly accepted the kiss and ran her fingers through his hair. She was so soft, so girly, so unlike The Other, that he began to relax. She deepened the kiss and he matched her, move for move, wrapping his arms around her waist.

((I love you. I will always love you.))

"Hey, this is the romance section, not a hotel!" an older lady called and whacked them with her cane. Yelping, they drew apart. Timmy's eye smarted. She'd hit him right beneath it. Ow. What the hell, lady. Meanwhile, Tootie was massaging her shoulder.

"Maybe you got a little more romance, you wouldn't be here," Timmy countered.

"Impertinent youth!" she said and raised the cane again. Timmy and Tootie ducked and dashed away, into the fantasy section. A grin spread across Tootie's face and she stroked Timmy's cheek with the back of her hand.

"Oh, look, mistletoe," she said and pointed up. He looked up and she kissed him again. Still grinning, she leaned into him.

((Made you look.))  
**

* * *

**

Cosmo and Wanda had retired to the 'self help' section, where the Karma Sutra laid in all its glory. Cosmo had started to giggle, and, unable to help herself, Wanda did too. They felt like school children. Cosmo's snickers kept setting her off and, in order to silence him and avoid drawing attention to themselves, she hushed him. When that didn't work, she pushed him into the little hallway near the restrooms and straddled him against the wall. Cosmo stopped giggling and stared at her with wide eyes.

((Calm down, or we'll end up enacting the Karma Sutra in the bookstore,)) she warned. Cosmo grinned from ear to ear.

((I'd like that,)) he said. She rolled her eyes.

((I know you would,)) she said. Cosmo wrapped his arms around her waist and squeezed her rear. She swatted at him and he kissed her. Wanda pressed up against him so there wasn't an inch between them, and Cosmo panted, rubbing her shoulders and grinding lightly against her. Wanda's heart raced and she shut her eyes. They kissed passionately, Cosmo sliding his leg along hers and making her whole body tingle.

((Cosmo, we're in _public._))

((So?)) he grinned against her lips. ((If we get caught, we'll only embarrass Timmy. It could be fun.))

Cosmo's excitement elevated hers and fed off it. He raised her legs and ground against her again. She moaned, low and throaty, and her eyelids fluttered. Cosmo broke off the kiss and she whimpered in protest. He sucked on her neck and released her legs to rub her stomach. However, a sudden concern made her push away from him.

"Don't humans record their stores?" she said in a low voice.

"Yeah, so?" he said. He spun her around so she was against the wall and she could feel how excited he was.

((There's a camera behind us,)) she pointed out.

((Give them something fun to watch,)) Cosmo said.

((Cosmo, no,)) she protested. ((I don't want humans seeing me like that.))

((That's easily fixed!)) He touched his wand in his pocket and the camera burned out. He set up an invisible magical barrier directing people elsewhere, and scooted further down the hallway so no one could see them. Wanda checked the bathrooms and there were no humans inside.

((Better?))

((Much,)) she said and Cosmo tossed off her shirt. He beamed at her and she grinned back. He lifted her legs again so she could feel him, all of him, pressing against her. His nimble fingers made short work of her bra, too. She shut her eyes and hoped Timmy and Tootie spent a _long_ time on line.

* * *

"Cosmo and Wanda have been gone a while," Timmy said. They were stuck on a long, wending line and couldn't even see the cash register from where they stood. Tootie had an arm full of books, Timmy had a Crash Nebula box set, and they thought they spied Tad and Chad bragging obnoxiously about how their servants paid for everything. Over the din, it might have been another irritating rich person.

"You just noticed that now?" Tootie snickered.

"Where do you think they went?" Timmy asked. "Should I call them?"

"You could try," Tootie suggested. "But I don't know if they'd reply."

Timmy gawked at her and blind panic replaced mild good cheer. "You don't think Lorenzo has them, do you?"

She sighed and stroked his hair. "Calm down, love. They're probably having fun on their own. They'll be back."

He didn't seem mollified, but also didn't seem inclined to call his godparents either. She groaned, standing on her heels to verify whether she could see the faeries. They had been shopping for about a half hour and hadn't seen his godparents since they'd slipped away from them at the entrance. Tootie frowned and jumped up. Out of a side hallway, Cosmo and Wanda appeared, Cosmo fixing his tie and both faeries beaming from ear to ear.

"See, they're fine," she told Timmy. Jumping had shifted the books in her arms and she had to stack them again using a reduced book display.

Cosmo and Wanda cut through the crowd with ease, perhaps supernatural ease, and arrived at Timmy's and Tootie's sides. Both shimmered and Tootie wondered why no one else had noticed this. Then again, the kids behind them were arguing about a book price, behind them a child was throwing a tantrum, and the kid in front of them with the wavy blonde hair seemed determined to ignore them at any turn. Timmy's mouth opened.

"Remy?" he said and the child turned around. Remy's eyes narrowed.

"Turner?" he said.

"What are _you_ doing here?" Timmy said. Tootie looked a question at Cosmo and Wanda, who had edged closer to Timmy, realized what they were doing, and stopped. Timmy didn't pay them any mind. The line shuffled ahead and Remy and Timmy had locked horns.

"What are _you_ doing?" Remy said and shifted his gaze to Wanda. If looks could kill, Wanda would have been murdered on the spot. Timmy's jaw dropped and he shoved Remy when the line moved again. Remy braced himself against the counter and glowered at Timmy.

"Dude," Timmy snapped. "What did she ever do to you?"

"Juandissimo is obsessed with her," Remy spat.

"So?" Wanda said. "What else is new?"

Cosmo wrapped an arm around her waist and they continued their path of joining the line without actually being on it. Cosmo's hand drifted to Wanda's back pocket and squeezed. Wanda yelped, swatting at him, and he beamed at her. She beamed back and they rested their heads on each other's shoulders. Timmy mimed gagging and Tootie smacked him.

"If I didn't have to buy this stupid thing..." Remy said and huffed. "Why am I wasting my time in a dirty _common folk_ establishment? I should get this special ordered. I just wanted to be reminded how much better I am than you."

"Then get off the line!" Timmy snapped.

"I'd rather stay," Remy said and smirked. "Not because I relish waiting on line, because it would irritate you."

Timmy growled and Wanda laid a hand on his shoulder. Tootie grabbed his hand and Cosmo blew Remy a raspberry. Remy turned around to glare and Cosmo affected an innocent look. Remy shifted back around and Timmy joined in with Cosmo. Wanda groaned.

"Oh, honestly," Remy said. "How immature."

Timmy, Cosmo, and now Tootie joined in, making it a trio of raspberries. Wanda sighed, slapped a palm to her forehead, and Remy turned back to glare at them.

"Don't you plebeians have anything better to do with your time?" Remy snapped.

"Let me answer that with this..." Timmy said and blew Remy a long, loud raspberry. He grabbed Remy and wrapped his arm around the smaller boy's neck to give him a noogie. "Nope, I guess not!"

"My parents will hear about this!"

"Let them," Timmy said, smirking. "Then you can explain to them why you were in a normal bookstore with 'poor people'."

"What's the matter?" Cosmo taunted. "Don't you like slumming it with us?"

Tootie looked over at Wanda, who wanted nothing more than to silently slide away from the group and denounce her claims to it. Tootie would empathize, but this was way too much fun. She still didn't know who this Remy kid was, but he could stand to be taken down a few notches.

"Or are you going to give up and leave the line?" Timmy asked.

Remy huffed. "I'm going to ignore you. It's what a civilized person would do."

Remy moved further when the line moved and, for a few seconds, Tootie, Timmy, and Cosmo fell silent. Wanda sighed in relief and probably thought the whole affair was over. It wasn't. Tootie could tell by looking Timmy had pent up mischief and maliciousness from being in The Other's care. Plus, she felt Timmy's disdain for the other boy.

"Hey, Tootie, I wonder what _rich kids_ do for Christmas," Timmy said in a pointed tone. Wanda groaned.

"Probably stand there and tell everyone how much better they are than everyone else," Tootie said, playing along.

"It must be _so hard_ to be rich," Timmy said. "All that money and power and you're still miserable."

"Oh, didn't I mention?" Remy said, turning around. "I'm spending the holidays with Lorenzo. Surely you've heard of him."

The color drained from Timmy's face. Cosmo and Wanda remained in a happy bubble unable to be pierced by Remy's astonishing ability to be an utter jackass. They exchanged looks, but the overall aura remained blissful. They also couldn't stop touching, but since Timmy had warned Tootie in the past his faeries sometimes acted like newlyweds, she ignored it.

However, the slight to Timmy she could not. That was a low blow, particularly compared to their little jests. Tootie had only a vague notion of everything Timmy had endured under The Other's charge, since Timmy refused to tell them everything. Nonetheless, she could feel the way Timmy's body had stiffened, how his throat constricted, and the faint tremor running along his body. His eyes narrowed.

"What are you doing with _him_?" Timmy said, his voice strangled.

"He brought back Juandissimo," Remy said. "I'm your understudy, but the understudy is never quite as good as the actor cast."

Timmy swallowed hard and his stomach turned. "Did you have to bring him up here?"

"I thought since you three decided you wanted to be nasty, I should return the favor," he said, smirking. "Now, I must ask- are you done?"

Timmy shrank in on himself. "Yeah, we're done."

Tootie spat at Remy's feet. "Bastard."

Remy gazed at her for a few seconds, decided she wasn't worth his time, and cut someone in line. Timmy's fists balled and he squared his jaw. His cerulean eyes burned cool loathing at the boy who had jumped three paces in line, despite claiming he wasn't affected by their taunting. Timmy continued to shiver.

"Hey, if The Other has Remy, that means he doesn't want you," Cosmo said. Wanda glared and Cosmo smiled innocently.

"I wouldn't count on it," Timmy said and, just like that, his joy had diminished. Tootie quickly tried to think of something cheery, something to take his mind off The Other.

"You know, I've never seen the Ice Charades," Tootie said. "I heard they had a blueberry compiled of a whole bunch of strange blue imaginary friends."

"What?" Timmy said. "How is that even possible?"

"I believe Tootie's referring to another universe," Wanda said, gladly picking up the conversation. "One where magic is much more commonplace than ours."

"How can magic be more common there?" Cosmo said. He simulcast, since he didn't want to speak it aloud, ((Duh. Faerie godparents.))

"Not quite what I was thinking, Cosmo," Wanda said. "Would you like to go, Timmy?"

"Nah, I'd rather play laser tag," Timmy said. He grinned at Cosmo and forgot in that instant what he'd spent the last couple months preparing for. "Wanna play laser tag, Cosmo? You can be the laser."

"Do I get to blow things up?" Cosmo exclaimed.

"No!" Wanda said forcefully and he grinned at her.

"You didn't seem to mind it before..."

"Hello!" Timmy said. "Twelve year old godchild here who does _not_ want to think about what you guys do when I'm not around."

"I could tell you," Cosmo said. "Or, better yet, I could show you a videotape of-" Wanda slammed a hand over his mouth and his next few words were muffled. She glared at him and they had a brief, fierce telepathatic conversation. Tootie snickered.

"Laser tag isn't dangerous, is it?" Wanda asked.

"We'll be fine," Timmy assured her. Cosmo removed her hand.

"Blech, I think I like that hand on other parts of my body better," he said.

"I wish I didn't have to hear that..." Timmy muttered.

"And I wish you did!" Cosmo said brightly.


	17. And it's Gone

Author's Note; Happy TOS interlude is now gone. Bye-bye.

As usual, please read and review. :D

Chapter Seventeen: And…it's Gone

"Laser tag is awesome!" Timmy proclaimed. He and Tootie had split up, boys versus girls, with Cosmo as a laser gun for him and Wanda serving Tootie. At first, both faeries had started trembling at the idea, and then Wanda waved her wand and generated a spell, to calm them down. She'd had to do it, though- this close to Timmy, Cosmo kept sending her messages about him killing him. And Wanda was terrified Timmy might snap and use them as weapons against each other. Not that she said as much- she was trying to make Timmy happy, not remind him why they were here.

She sensed something amiss in Fairy World, however, and had a hard time concentrating on the task at hand. Cosmo's aim was horrible, so it didn't matter if Wanda missed out by distraction, but it wasn't much fun if your lasers couldn't hit the target. She wanted to know where The Other was, because the chills down her spine told her he was up to something, and she couldn't take a break from the game. She sure as hell couldn't communicate with him telepathically, not without opening herself up to a mental attack, and Timmy would know if she'd tried to contact him because of how they were connected.

Her good mood had gone down the tubes, regardless of what extra curricular activities she and Cosmo had engaged in. She shielded it from Cosmo, because he was having the time of his life once he'd gotten over his nerves. It was like old times, when he and Timmy played around, and she didn't want to deprive him of that. Heaven knew they hadn't been truly happy since The Other had arrived.

"You're not even trying," Timmy teased Wanda. Cosmo hit Tootie's target and cheered. Wanda frowned. She could tell him...or she could lie.

"Sorry, sport," she said. Tootie squeezed the trigger and she concentrated her power on getting Timmy's target. He jumped out of the way and she changed direction, grinning mischievously and hitting the target though it should have been physically impossible. His target beeped too and he scowled at her.

"That's cheating!"

"Would you rather play Wanda Ball instead? I use a cinder block," she teased.

"Hey, Wanda," Cosmo said. "Why are you blocking me out?"

"Huh?" Timmy said. He stared at Wanda in Tootie's hands.

"I'll tell you later," she said. Cosmo looked confused. He rubbed up against her mind and she sighed, longing for their intimacy earlier and their lack of worries. Tootie aimed and Timmy jumped; she grinned, tackling him and shooting Wanda point blank into his target.

"Hey!" he complained. "Girls fight dirty!"

Tootie only grinned and shot him a third time. Three shots equaled a kill and Tootie had won. Timmy groaned, rolling his eyes and staring up at his gun, who was looking at Wanda. She looked at the entrance and then jumped, startled.

"What is it?" Timmy asked.

"Gary's around," she said.

"Where?" Tootie asked.

"I don't know," Wanda said. "I just suddenly sensed him. He's got a lot more magic than I thought."

"Duh, he was _born_ from it," Cosmo said. They changed into humanoid forms and stood near Timmy and Tootie. Wanda placed a hand on Tootie's back to guide her and concentrated on locating Gary. It appeared he was nearby, waiting to speak with Timmy. Another chill went down her spine. She knew it had to with Lorenzo. Two chills in twenty minutes- this wasn't good. She hadn't gotten this many warnings since Timmy had gone over to The Other's side and that night...she clamped her teeth down.

"Oh!" she and Cosmo exclaimed at once.

"What is it?" Timmy and Tootie said, staring at them.

Cosmo went rigid- he was having one of his hunches. He grabbed her wrist hard enough to pinch and she gritted her teeth. His gaze was far away and they stepped out of the laser tag area with only Wanda's arm around Cosmo to move him around. Otherwise, he'd lost all track of his surroundings.

"The Other's infiltrated Anti Fairy World!" Cosmo said and opened his eyes.

"What?" Timmy exclaimed.

"Hey, Tim-Tim," Gary said, strolling up from the food court. It was right outside the video game arcade and children rushed past them to get food, or play video games. Gary smirked and they went into a corner, in between the food court and the video game arcade. It was barely large enough for the five of them and had a janitor's closet right next to Timmy's left hand.

"Hey, Gary," Cosmo said. "Long time no see."

"We meant to thank you for helping us save Timmy," Wanda said.

"It's nothin'," he said and hugged them. Timmy's eyes narrowed and Wanda smiled, patting Gary on the head. He lingered near them and Timmy growled. Gary advanced and Timmy held his ground. His eyes blazed.

"It's been a while," he said. "I'm glad to see you're not under The Other's mind control anymore."

"They're not _your_ godparents," Timmy growled. "They're mine."

"That reminds me," Gary said. "I had something for you."

He punched Timmy hard in the gut and Timmy doubled over, choking. Wanda moved to Timmy's side and Gary punched him in the face. Wanda glared.

"Stop it!" she protested.

"He tried to kill you two!" he hissed. "Why should I be nice to him? Why the hell did you let him back into the house? Let him rot with the rapist fucker."

Tootie's mouth dropped and Timmy blanched, struggling to regain his breath. Wanda rubbed his back and Gary spat at Timmy's feet.

"The Other's comin' for you," Gary snarled. "I'm not warnin' _you_, Tim-Tim, because you don't deserve it. I'm warnin' Cos an' Wan because I don't want to see 'em hurt.'

"You didn't have to tell us by hurting Timmy," Wanda said. She stroked Timmy's hair, but didn't heal the bruises, which she knew Gary had noticed. His nostrils flared and his eyes narrowed.

"You don't appreciate them," Gary snapped. "You'll never appreciate them. You don't deserve them."

"I got it, all right?" Timmy gasped. "You're angry at me."

"No, you don't get it," Gary snarled. "But you will very soon."

He disappeared in thin air with a crack and Cosmo stared at the space he'd occupied. "He might be a jerk, but you have to admire that exit."

"Are you okay?" Wanda asked.

Tootie stared where Gary had been too and frowned, turning to face her love. "Who _is_ he?"

Cosmo explained and Wanda examined Timmy carefully. He shrugged her off and massaged his stomach. Gary hadn't caused more than bruises on his face, and she detected anger radiating off him. He stomped his foot.

"He ruined my day!"

"I get the impression he'd ruin more than that if Wanda hadn't protested," Tootie said darkly.

"I don't need your help, Wanda," Timmy growled. Wanda flinched, flashing back on the recent past, and she recoiled into Cosmo. The spell began to disintegrate, removing Wanda's ease with it. Cosmo glared at his godson, and Wanda shivered. Timmy opened his mouth to continue and then looked at his godparents.

"Sorry..." he said, hanging his head. "I didn't mean..."

"Where did you want to go now?" she said with forced joviality.

"I'm trying, I really am," Timmy said. "I don't want you guys to be afraid of me forever."

"We won't," Wanda promised, but the lie was obvious to all of them. Timmy sighed.

"I love you," he said.

Neither faerie answered and Timmy winced, hurt glimmering in his eyes. His lower lip quivered and Wanda felt bad, but her mind had flown to Anti Fairy World again. Cosmo's hand squeezed hers and she frowned, trying to think of The Other and see what he was doing without revealing herself to him. Timmy looked into his godparents' eyes.

"You guys love me too, right?" he pleaded.

"I love you," Tootie said.

"Cosmo, Wanda..." Timmy swallowed hard and tears brimmed. "You love me, right?"

"Of course we do, sport," Wanda said, attempting to astral project without losing consciousness. Timmy touched her face and she jumped.

"Then say it back," he said. His voice was rough, like he was about to start crying.

Wanda shut her eyes and projected herself into Anti Fairy World. She had a half second view of destroyed houses. Then, The Other's attention shifted to her and she cried out, sinking back into herself. Cosmo grabbed her and held her steady; she had begun to tremble. Timmy was shaking too, looking at them both. A tear had slipped down his cheeks.

"What are you doing that's so important?" Timmy asked.

"The Other's in Anti Fairy World," she said. "And he has more power than I've ever seen...he's the dark equivalent of Jorgen."

Tootie touched Timmy's arm and he shoved it off. He stared at his godparents and moved closer to them; Wanda wrapped an arm around his waist and he hugged them tightly.

"I love you guys," he repeated. "You don't...after what I almost did...Do you hate me?"

"We could never hate you," Wanda said and kissed the top of his head. Since it seemed to be what he needed to hear, she added, "We still love you, Timmy."

Timmy sighed and stopped crying. He trembled again and Wanda felt power emanating from him. Without a word, he pushed them away and ran out of the alcove. Tootie's mouth dropped open. Wanda could see a faint shimmer around her godson, like he'd been possessed, and then she started after him, Cosmo's hand in hers and Tootie taking up the lead.

"The Other has enough power to reach him on Earth..." Wanda said.

"And he's already broken through the barrier you put up against him..." Tootie said, eyes wide.


	18. Submerged Again

Author's Note: A combination of being busy and sheer laziness on my part led me not to update this. I'm sorry.

I hope you enjoy the update and read and review.

Chapter Eighteen: Submersed Again

Timmy darted through the mall. The Other's power sank deep into his mind, obliterating any other thoughts or motivations aside from rejoining him. His entire personality had been submerged, and his will was that he existed to please his anti faerie self. He ran quickly, ignoring the surprised patrons who wanted to know why this brat was loping through the mall. He also ignored Cosmo, Wanda, and Tootie, who were gaining on him.

"Timmy, wait!" Tootie called. "I wish-"

He lost her in the crowd and then, all of a sudden, Cosmo and Wanda were beside him. Wanda grabbed his shoulders and tilted his head upward to look at her. He glared; The Other's loathing consumed him. He spat at her feet.

"Let go of me, frach," he growled. Wanda gasped and he thought of the transistor shifting into a deadly blade. He remembered their practice sessions and learning how to anticipate, in addition to the advantage of surprise. The transistor appeared in his hands and shifted, recognizing his intent. From a normal, bland brown rod it changed into a six inch knife he plunged into Wanda's side. Wanda screamed and Timmy felt The Other's exaltation at his accomplishment. Tootie rushed him and, like that, he vanished in mid air, reappearing with a crack in The Other's mansion. The journey had taken less than a second and he stumbled, nonetheless, the transistor wet and shimmering with faerie blood.

"There were too many witnesses," Lorenzo explained. He smiled, examining his sire. Today, he wore a brown leather jerkin and dress pants, along with leather boots. He stepped forward from the comfortable red armchair and embraced Timmy. The transistor fell on the floor, forgotten. Then, he pulled him back with him into the chair and kissed his temples. Timmy recognized the room- it was the living room, with the two plaques on the wall left for Cosmo and Wanda. Deep down, beneath Lor's magic, he quaked, thinking of the What If Spell.

In addition to the chair, which was large enough to seat two, there was a crackling fire before them and a mantelpiece full of stolen faerie artifacts. Timmy recognized a second transistor, along with what looked like something from Jorgen's personal collection. He shut his eyes and The Other kissed him on the lips and stroked his hair.

"I've missed you so much," he said. "Naturally, I had to make a dramatic entrance, to remind Wanda what we were dealing with. How is the frach, by the way? I know you were upset over something, but I can't quite understand why. Why should you care whether she loves you?'

Timmy didn't answer. His mind was leaden and he thought he heard Tootie calling for him, but it was drowned in new found mental waves, like ocean waves upon the shore. The Other kissed him again, hugging him tightly and sighing, content. Timmy turned around in his arms and tried to recall the faint unease he'd felt looking at the plaques, and the What If Spell. Clarity was very important around The Other, but it seldom came. And Cosmo and Wanda weren't here. Lorenzo was right- what did he care whether they loved him? What did he care about anything if it didn't have to do with his anti faerie?

He shut his eyes and The Other rifled through his memories. He hissed, slamming a mental wall down on him and prompting Timmy to jump.

"You've been pleading for their forgiveness?" he growled. "You've been acting like...like a _family_?" he spat the word.

He dumped his sire on the floor and began to pace. Timmy watched him with lidded eyes. Now, it felt like Wanda was trying to contact him, her and Cosmo, and he only received static. The Other radiated power, enough to supply a whole state, if not more, and he knew enough to be frightened. He scooted backward and The Other growled.

"You begged your godparents to tell you they loved you!" he growled and lifted Timmy up to backhand him. Timmy whimpered and received another backhand.

"You cling to them like a little bitch!" he thundered and shook him so hard his teeth rattled. Timmy gaped and received another slap, this one leaving his ears ringing.

"You need to be taught a lesson, a lesson on why it is never prudent to be dependent on anyone."

((Timmy...)) This was Wanda and Timmy blinked. The Other roared, sending a shock wave through Timmy strong enough to send Wanda into convulsions he could feel from his end. He shuddered uncontrollably and thought of the What if Spell. He knew The Other's thoughts followed his and he flung Timmy into the chair. Timmy bounced and grabbed the arms to hold himself steady.

"They fucking lied to you," he snarled. "Don't you get it? They lied to you with a spell, and you believed every stupid word of it. You thought they really wanted you to be happy? They have never wanted that, because if they wanted you to be happy, they would lay down and fucking die."

"I don't think..." Timmy began, barely in control as it was. The Other punched him in the face and he saw red spots.

"They can't come here, at least. Those lying fucking cowards are blocked from the manor unless I tell them otherwise. No more little nighttime visits. Oh, you thought I didn't know about that? Here's a newsflash. I know all. I see all. And I'll be damned if I ever let that goddamn frach sink her claws into you ever again. You are _mine_, do you hear me? MINE!"

Timmy swallowed hard. Deep down, terror overwhelmed him. He thought Lorenzo might have finally blown a fuse.

"I'll kill her first, and no more beating around the bush this time," he said and smiled insanely. "I know I can't send you to do my job, no matter how appealing. I'll bring them here and then they'll see how weak they really are. Yes, and then they'll see exactly what I do with you, and how only I deserve to have you. Yes, that's right. That makes perfect sense."

He laughed and smiled at Timmy. Timmy recoiled.

((Wanda? Tootie? Cosmo?))

((NEVER AGAIN!)) The Other sent, sending corresponding pained waves throughout Timmy's body. "They never have you again, because you are mine, mine, mine, and shall be until the end of time. MINE!

"And we are going to have some fun today, oh, yes, we are," The Other laughed. "Lots and lots of fun, wouldn't you agree, Timmy?"

Timmy moaned and trembled.  
**

* * *

**

Cosmo and Wanda had evacuated back to Timmy's house, after reassuring people it was a stunt. Then Wanda had healed herself and they returned to Timmy's room to discuss this. Cosmo was ranting and raving about how he'd always known Timmy would turn on them again. Wanda was not so sure, and neither was Tootie.

"He ran away from us for a reason," Wanda said.

"Yeah, to go back with his _lover_," Cosmo said. Wanda huffed.

"He ran away from us because he knew he was going to hurt us otherwise."

"Yeah, sure, he did," Cosmo scoffed.

"He won't answer when I call him," Tootie said. "It's like there's interference."

"The Other's blocking us out," Wanda said and sighed. She tried, nonetheless, to reach him. ((Timmy?))

A shock wave so powerful it made her black out ran through the air and she came to on the floor staring up at Cosmo. Cosmo looked stunned, his wand in mid air, mouth agape. She couldn't lift her head- her whole body ached and she felt like she might spend the entire day on the floor. Every muscle in her body had been pulverized by that attack.

"What do we do...?" Tootie asked. She was trying not to panic. "He has more magic than we've ever seen before."

"Don't panic, don't panic, don't panic!" Cosmo screamed. He ducked and dove to his wife's side. His teeth chattered. "I'm not panicking, I'm not panicking."

"Cosmo..." she moaned and lifted her hand to touch his cheek. Her arm suddenly weighed fifty pounds and she groaned, dropping it back down.

"We need help," Tootie decided.

Wanda closed her eyes. It was too much effort to keep them open.

* * *

The Other couldn't sit still. He paced the room, vacated it, and left Timmy to trail in his wake. Nervous energy surrounded him and Timmy had half formed thoughts, ones Lorenzo stubbornly shoved away of contacting his faeries or Tootie. They walked through the house, Timmy trotting at The Other's heels like a well trained dog, and The Other rambled aloud. He thought he saw, out of the corner of his eye, Remy and Crocker, but when he turned his head to look, they were gone.

"I have plans, I have-" Lorenzo stopped, cocking his head. "Is that the doorbell?"

"I don't know," Timmy said. His entire head was full of static and he couldn't reach a single channel. The Other huffed and set off to the front foyer with Timmy following. Opening the door, he reached for the transistor at his waist and Timmy recoiled, remembering this woman dimly, as if from another lifetime. Ms. Doombringer stood framed in the doorway and Timmy recalled the plaque with the ripped off faerie wings, crown, and wand. His stomach somersaulted.

"Who the hell are you?" Lorenzo said. He hugged Timmy close to him and rested his palm on Timmy's shoulder.

"I'm Ms. Doombringer, though you may call me Mary Lou," the woman said. She wore a black choker around her neck and Timmy thought he saw faerie dust. He shuddered, thinking of the other faeries in Dimmsdale she might have persecuted. Her long black hair hung loose and she wore black leather, form fitting, with an open zipper at her chest. Timmy's eyes lingered there and she stared.

"Timmy Turner?" she scoffed. "Where are your faeries?"

"You know him..." Lorenzo paused and probed her mind. She stood firm, allowing him to search through it, and Timmy took advantage of Lorenzo's distraction to spin the mental dial and try to get a signal. A light brush across his mind made Timmy shiver and he saw Wanda's pink eyes in his head, followed by Cosmo's brilliant green eyes and Tootie's vibrant violent ones. Tootie reached out for him and a mental hand slapped them away. He sighed.

"Telepathy?" Mary Lou asked. "This child has it?"

"This child is not your concern," Lorenzo said coldly. His eyebrows raised. "However, your history hunting Cosmo and the frach intrigues me. I find you interesting. I may not kill you."

Mary Lou glared. "Is that supposed be a compliment? You reek of faerie dust."

She prodded Timmy in the chest. "He's fairly swimming in it. Little pink and green sparkles around him." She rubbed Cosmo and Wanda's remains between her thumb and forefinger and a song fragment popped into Timmy's head.

_"She's ripping wings off of butterflies..."_

"Me?" Lorenzo chuckled. "I'm an anti faerie. You sought me out. Shouldn't you know that?"

"I'd only heard you murdered children and a couple faeries here and there. I knew nothing about your being one."

"A couple?" Timmy echoed. "Who else?"

"Not Cosmo and Wanda," Lorenzo said. "No one important."

((Timmy? Timmy!)) Tootie sent and Lorenzo clenched his fist. To Timmy's dulled horror, since all his senses were subdued, Lorenzo used a mental choke hold on Tootie. She struggled to breathe and at a distance Cosmo and Wanda fretted. The Other squeezed tighter and Timmy's chest tightened. It felt like he could never draw enough breath.

((Contact him again and I will end your suffering permanently.))

He released and Mary Lou jumped forward, producing a ray gun to attack Lorenzo. Eyes blazing, Lorenzo drew apart his palms and energy crackled. A chill went down his spine. Advancing, he generated a vast black ball and it enveloped Ms. Doombringer. She gasped, skin peeling and blood dripping down her limbs. He waved his hand and her face peeled too, blood streaking her cheeks like tears. Timmy choked, horrified and unable to look away.

"Capture Cosmo and Wanda for me and I shall reward you beyond your wildest dreams. Kill them or touch my Timmy...and I'll kill you. Are we clear?"

She nodded slowly and The Other wrenched her arm behind her back. She screamed and he released it, along with the black ball. Collapsing to her knees, she looked up at him and he smiled, producing a shield out of thin air. He then raised her to her feet and held her like a puppet.

"One finger on my beloved and I will rip your fucking throat out and leave you in front of the faeries you despise so much," he said.

She nodded again and gawked at him. "What are you?"

"Should you fail, your judge, jury, and executioner. Now come in, make yourself comfortable, and I will have Crocker show you to your room."

He gestured for her to follow him in and she wrinkled her nose at him.

"Crocker? You employ Crocker?" she said. "What kind of slipshod operation is this?"

"I would like alone time with my sire," he said and bared his teeth at her. "I trust there are no objections."

"You almost murder me, you invite me in, and then-" she stopped. Raising his hand, he mentally choked her, like he had Tootie, and waited until her eyes bulged before dropping her on the floor. Gasping and panting, she stared up at him with the beginnings of hatred. Timmy felt nothing toward her, but a small shiver ran through him at the thought of Lorenzo and Timmy alone time. He saw his godparents in his mind's eye again, right before The Other had seized control of him, and remembered Wanda hugging him. He remembered Tootie under the mistletoe...and heard a crack, accompanied by a white hot pain across his cheeks. The Other had slapped him.

"Keep that up and our reunion will cease being pleasant," he said tightly. A mental voice rang throughout the house. ((Crocker! See to this woman immediately and if you don't, I'll make you wish you were never born.))

They waited, The Other's hand slipping beneath his shirt to rub his bare shoulder. Mary Lou's eyes widened and The Other glared, jabbing her with another black fashioned magical item, this time a dagger. He'd never been able to conjure items into thin air before. Timmy trembled again and the eyes flashed before him again, faster, and his heart beat quickened.

The dagger didn't draw blood, but translucent energy, reminding Timmy of car oil, leaked out of her and traveled directly into The Other's body. Timmy frowned. He didn't need any more power. He could fuel Dimmsdale at this rate.

"No comments," The Other hissed. "Nothing. Not a word."

He tilted Timmy upward and kissed him on the lips. Timmy whimpered, pulling back, and The Other brought him closer, against his will. The eyes alternated faster, and Timmy sensed this was their magical limit. They could only remind him what was out there, not reach him. He remembered the long nights wishing Cosmo and Wanda would come, and his heart wrenched. The Other, thankfully, seemed too distracted to notice Timmy's mind drifting. He idly healed Doombringer, not because he cared, but because she was dripping onto the carpet.

Timmy's teeth chattered. He almost envied her.


	19. Nowhere to Run

Chapter Nineteen: Nowhere to Run

With all the power of Anti Fairy World backing him, Timmy stood no chance of fleeing or defending himself. Instead, he fled outside himself, opting to pass out rather than submit to The Other's mistreatment. Once, he had entered a mind room, and he projected himself now, desperate to reach someone who might hear him. Lorenzo hadn't noticed him fading away and Timmy sped, able to move where his body couldn't, and race to his house. There he discovered Cosmo and Wanda leafing through a book and arguing. He saw Tootie downstairs arguing with Vicky, and he bet he knew the main topic of discussion.

"Guys?" he called. Wanda jerked, in the middle of telling Cosmo off, and stared. Despite her words, Timmy thought he saw the faint glimmer of tears in her eyes.

"Timmy?" she said.

"He's not here, remember?" Cosmo snapped. "He's with the murderer, planning to kill us again."

"No, I'm here," Timmy said and stared at himself. "Woah, I'm even less here than my parents were."

"Hang on," Wanda said. "I think we can talk, but we're all going to have to be unconscious."

"Oh, no," Cosmo said. "I'm not losing my consciousness to be beat up by Timmy the astral ghost."

"You'll do it," Wanda snarled, hair briefly turning to fire.

"Who cares what happens to him? He went back on his word," Cosmo said caustically. "He promised he'd never hurt us again and now he's joined Lorenzo again. And you told him we loved him."

"Oh stop it!" Wanda shot back. "You care about him just as much as I do; you just don't want to think about it because you're so worried he'll turn on us."

"Whatever you guys do, can you just do it now before Lorenzo finds out I'm gone?" Timmy growled.

"Of course," Wanda said and waved her wand. They appeared in her mind room, which was a comfy, cushy room with many armchairs, a roaring fire and books lined on the shelves. Three hefty tomes side by side held memories and, across from the shelves was a TV screen, which was currently blank. Little green items popped up, to remind Timmy they were intertwined, and she settled in an armchair. Cosmo settled beside her and ran his fingers along her cheek. Timmy blinked. Wanda appeared younger somehow, less responsible and more carefree. She poured out light, too, happiness and goodness that dazzled Timmy's eyes after being with The Other. Cosmo, by contrast, was a couple shades darker, but both were blazing light. He had wondered before why being around them sometimes just made him happy by proxy. He guessed that might be the reason.

"I see you escaped," Wanda said.

"For a few seconds," he said. He glared at Cosmo. "I'm not here to murder you."

"I'm not saying you are," Wanda said quickly, "but you'd better not attempt anything here, if Lorenzo's influence can suddenly jump to mind rooms. If you snuff out my fire, sport...I'll die."

Timmy glanced back at the fire behind him. "You're kidding me."

"No," she said. "The fire is my life force. I'll die if it dies. And because Cosmo and I are linked so closely, hurting me here will also hurt him deeply."

"I'm not going to hurt you," he said and, to his surprise, both faeries brightened. He cocked his head at Cosmo.

"What's up with you?" he said.

"You can't lie in mind rooms," Cosmo explained. "You can't say anything but the truth. Not even 'the truth as you believe it', but the actual truth."

"How long do you think you have, hun?" she asked.

"I don't know... "he said and flinched. "I know he's doing horrible things to my body."

They nodded and he settled in an armchair next to her. "Maybe we should get Tootie too."

"There's no time," Wanda said and grimaced. "Can you hear it?"

"Hear what?"

"Your body's calling to you," Cosmo said and swallowed hard. Timmy shut his eyes and heard it, like a chord being struck repeatedly, growing louder and louder. His heart leapt into his throat and he turned, desperate, to his godparents.

"I don't want to go," he said. "I love you guys."

"I don't think we can hold you here," Wanda said.

"You'll die without your body," Cosmo said.

A hand yanked at his back and Wanda leapt forward to grab one hand. Cosmo grabbed the other and a force dragged him back. His eyes widened and he whimpered.

"I don't want to go! Help me!" he cried. "I wish I could stay here!"

"We can't grant wishes in mind rooms," Wanda said. "Technically, you're not supposed to be in here in the first place."

"I don't care!" he said. "Help me, help me! Cosmo and Wanda-"

The hand jerked him, slammed him into the floor, and, like that, he was gone. His last vision was of Cosmo and Wanda, blinking, turning to each other, and then he returned to himself, nude, in Lorenzo's bed. Lorenzo slapped him across the face and he realized nothing had happened yet. Lorenzo had been waiting for him to come back to himself.

"Now," he growled. "Are you going to enjoy yourself or am I going to have to punish you accordingly?"

Timmy gulped and shuddered. _I wish..._

* * *

Even by Lorenzo's standards, this particular session was brutal. By the end of it, Timmy had mottled bruises everywhere, his backside throbbed, and he tasted semen in the back of his throat. He felt like a cheap gimmick, a dollar whore, and huddled under the sheets. He didn't dare cry, not while Lorenzo was around. He'd beaten him once for crying, and at this point, the only thing left involved breaking bones. The worst part of it was Cosmo and Wanda couldn't come if he called, because Lorenzo had barricaded the mansion.

"Next time will be better," he cooed and kissed Timmy on the crown of his head. The crown reminded him of his faeries, and his stomach protested. They'd have been appalled at his mistreatment. Then again, they hadn't known Lorenzo had sexually abused him. They might have had their suspicions, but he'd never outright told them. He didn't intend to. He was used and filthy...and back to being worthless again. He craved a razor so badly he clawed at his skin.

He hugged Timmy to his bare chest and Timmy slumped. Tootie, Cosmo, and Wanda made him feel loved. Tootie's kisses might as well be a million miles away now. He was being punished for that too, he knew, for drawing Cosmo and Wanda back to him and trying to reconstruct the shattered pieces of his life. He'd actually been happy today, for the first time in months, and Lorenzo had stolen it away. He ought to resent him, but all he wanted to do was cry and cut.

"I have to go to the bathroom," he lied. Maybe Lorenzo had a shaver he could use.

"I know you've been letting," Lorenzo snapped. "I can hurt you so much better than you can."

Timmy's insides went cold. It had taken Wanda a couple weeks to work out he'd been cutting, and it had taken Lorenzo what? Five minutes? Or had Wanda always suspected it? He felt sick again. He'd betrayed them and tossed them away, when they were the only creatures who had ever truly loved him. They cared about him and it had taken almost losing them to realize it. His throat constricted.

"You'll never see them again," he said. "I'll kill them for you, since you can't kill them yourself."

"No," he whimpered. His lower lip trembled and he squirmed, but The Other held him tight. "Leave- leave Cosmo and Wanda alone."

Lorenzo reached down and squeezed Timmy's balls, prompting him to yelp.

"They're in my way. I made a mistake in sending you after them," he said. "A mistake that shall soon be rectified."

Timmy trembled and stared into his anti fairy's eyes. This was what it was like to be utterly and completely trapped. In the past, he'd had the slim hope Cosmo and Wanda would come if he called them. They might be able to save him. Now, there was no one. Lorenzo lowered his head to nip at Timmy's sore right shoulder and, propping Timmy's legs open around his waist, proceeded to cup his rear. A single jagged sigh escaped him.

He knew it was pointless, but he whispered, too low for him to hear and prayed The Other was too occupied.

"Cosmo and Wanda..."

**

* * *

**

Cosmo and Wanda jerked, pouring over the book Tootie had pilfered from The Other's library. They sat side by side, one fairy holding one edge open, and looked over the spells with Tootie beside them on the couch. They weren't speaking aloud, only speaking in telepathy, and Tootie felt left out. She tried sending messages to Timmy, but after the first attack, she hadn't gotten through. Timmy couldn't receive; Wanda said Lorenzo had blocked off telepathy.

"What's the matter?" Tootie said at their shudder.

"Timmy called us," Wanda said.

"But we can't go because The Other bound him to the house," Cosmo said.

"What do you mean?" Tootie said.

Wanda grimaced and rubbed her temple with her free right hand. "Lorenzo has set up a magical contract with the house where all the blood magic and sex magic he used is forcibly keeping Timmy from seeking outside help. It won't be able to befuddle Timmy's mind like it did in the past, but it prevents us from joining him. It basically forces Timmy to continue playing the victim in order to satisfy the spells."

"If Timmy started fighting back, could he summon you?" Tootie asked.

"At the moment, I'm not sure he's inclined," Wanda pointed out. "He's been depressed lately."

"And The Other's not exactly a piece of cake even when he's not channeling all of Anti Fairy World's magic," Cosmo said. "Oooh, cake." He conjured up a piece of chocolate cake, split it in half, and handed the second half to Wanda. Her lips twitched and she pecked Cosmo on the cheek.

"He has to have a weakness," Tootie said.

"Timmy," Wanda said and sighed. "Timmy is his weakness. But he isn't going to use himself against Lorenzo. The only conceivable way to take advantage of it is for Timmy to behave exactly as The Other wants him to, and try to..."

She choked, temporarily turning blue, and Cosmo patted her on the back. She swallowed hard, conjured up milk, and drank half the cup, coughing all the while.

"Try to what?" Tootie said once it appeared Wanda could speak.

"He has to use Lorenzo's obsession against him," she said.

"By...?" Tootie rolled her hand.

Cosmo exchanged a look with his wife and Tootie sighed, annoyed.

"You're not going to like it," Wanda said. "Timmy won't either. It won't occur to him, unless we can somehow send him a message."

"The mansion's blocked against you two, right?" Tootie said. "Why can't I go in there and rescue him?"

"It's locked against you too," Wanda said. "The only person who can enter is someone who's already been entrapped by the sex magic, either by accident or on purpose."

"So we're stuck," Tootie said. "I can't think of anyone."

Wanda smiled, but it wasn't a pleasant smile. "I can, but he really won't like it. He'll like it even less than what Timmy has to do to break The Other's power over him."

"Or he could become a murderer again," Cosmo said.

"I don't think..." she stopped, sighing. "There's that."

"Assuming Timmy doesn't go dark side again, who were you two thinking of?" Tootie said, folding her arms across her chest.

"Gary," Wanda said and grimaced. "He will _not_ be pleased. We might have to offer him compensation."

"In other words, bribe him," Cosmo said.


	20. Dreaming of a Bloody Christmas

Author's Note: It does my bitter heart good to post this today. Yes, indeed.

Sorry for the delays in updating. I've been lazy and had family problems. Still do, as a matter of fact. (Le sigh)

Chapter Twenty: Dreaming of a Bloody Christmas

Timmy waited until Lorenzo fell asleep and squirmed out from underneath his grasp. He thudded to the floor and crawled to the bathroom. The Other had to have left him salvation. There had to be a razor, shaving or otherwise, or a sharp object. He'd settle for breaking the mirrors and incurring the bad luck just for a fix. He trembled and looked into the mirror, but his reflection wasn't there.

"Hi, Timmy!" Cosmo said. Timmy fell over and Wanda's image joined Cosmo's. Timmy grabbed the toilet bowl to right himself and shut the door in case their voices woke The Other.

"What are you guys doing here?" he hissed. "I thought you couldn't enter the mansion."

"We can't, but there's a loophole," Wanda said.

"And by loophole, she means we can only do this for about five minutes," Cosmo said.

"Sweetie, are you okay?" Wanda said. "We know The Other's..." she trailed off, staring at him. Timmy flinched and grabbed a towel. He covered the mirrors and his godparents objected with a 'hey!'

"We went through hell to show up in your bathroom and you're blocking us out!" Cosmo protested.

He didn't want them to see what Lorenzo had done to him. He trembled and curled up on the toilet. He couldn't prop the towels up, but at least they could barely see him from the mirror. Hugging himself made his whole body protest, but he didn't care. He looked around the room; the towel rack had a serrated edge. Maybe he could rub his wrists along it.

"Timmy," Wanda said quietly, "We're working on getting you out."

"Unless you really are in cahoots with The Other to kill us again," Cosmo said. "In which case, you're on your own, pal."

"How badly did he hurt you?" she whispered. "You can tell us."

His throat constricted. Their presence twisted his stomach and made him feel worse, if it was possible. They cared about him and he still wanted to cut his wrists open and bleed onto the linoleum floor. The shining edges tempted him and he knew he ought to be talking to his godparents, taking advantage of their being here with him. But all he could think about was cutting. Cutting would wash away the horror and shame. Cutting would put him in control again, stop making him the victim.

"Don't do anything stupid," Wanda warned.

"Yeah, 'cuz we can't bail you out now," Cosmo said.

"I...I think there's a way you can beat The Other..." Wanda said hesitantly. "But...you won't like it."

"Is it worse than being beaten to a pulp, forced to suck him off, beaten again, healed and then pounded into the wall, and forced to do every single degrading sexual act imaginable?" Timmy said in a dull voice.

"...no..." Wanda breathed. "No. Oh, Timmy, please tell me you're..." she couldn't continue. He heard tears in her voice and he looked up at her.

"Please, honey, hang on for us, okay? We're going to save you," she said. "We promise."

"And what if it looks like I'm with Lorenzo again? Are you going to save Tootie and forget about me?" he said.

"Timmy, we're so sorry..." she whispered. "We love you. We will always love you. We never meant for any of this to happen."

Timmy rubbed his wrist along his bare leg and whimpered. "I wish you'd go back to sleep."

"This is the only chance we might have for a while to speak to you," she said. "Don't you want to say something?"

He couldn't do it, not in front of them. Wanda had been so upset when she'd discovered his secret. Vicky had laughed hysterically. "Little Timmy Turner lets". Timmy's stomach wrenched again. He shouldn't...not in front of Cosmo and Wanda. He really shouldn't. He saw Vicky in his mind's eye, and heard her laughing at him. Then Vicky's face was replaced by The Other's, and his skin crawled. The Other's hands all over his body, stealing his energy, his happiness, the things that made him who he was. The Other had blocked Cosmo and Wanda from him and deprived him of them when he needed them most. The Other had tried to turn him against them, and almost kill them. And now he was back in the hell house, back with a monster, and Cosmo and Wanda couldn't even be physically present.

His skin burned with urgency and his mouth dried out. His hands shook. All he could think about was the need. He needed to cut. He needed to do it more than anything in the world. Cosmo and Wanda were here, but not really. They couldn't stop him. They couldn't even help him. He had to do this. The towel rack was too tempting. Craving the pain, he leaned forward and slashed his arm open from the wrist down almost to his elbow.

Cosmo and Wanda screamed. Their objections meant nothing to him, though. Raw energy raced through him. He could be anything, he could do anything, he didn't have to be The Other's bitch. The life force was power, and he finally had it. Grinning from ear to ear, he raised the left wrist, the right oozing blood, and distantly, as if from another world, heard his godparents crying.

"Timmy, stop!" Wanda screamed.

"You don't want to do that..." Cosmo said.

"Please, please..." they begged. "Stop it!"

He looked at his right arm, which was now soaked with blood. It dripped off his arm and onto the floor, coating the white tiles red. He tasted lead and smiled. This cut was so much deeper than anything he'd dared before. He loved the feeling, the adrenaline rush, and how alive he felt. He could be himself, but better, with the cut. Maybe he could just gouge out the gash a little more...

He reached for the bar again.

"Timmy, if you love us, STOP!" Wanda screamed. Timmy turned and stared at his godparents. They huddled together and their faces were pale white. Tears streaked their cheeks and beyond the adrenaline rush, he realized he'd hurt them again. He hadn't meant to hurt them. His heart thudded. He didn't know how to stop, either. Maybe it'd be better if he were with Lorenzo, so he could stop twisting the knife in their hearts.

"Do...do you love us?" Cosmo whispered.

The blood poured onto his lap and coated his body with its hot stickiness. It didn't sparkle like faerie blood and he wanted to laugh. Either that, or he'd start crying. He wasn't sure which right now.

"Please, sport," Wanda whispered. "Promise us you'll never do that again."

"I can't," he said. Despite their reaction, he still wanted to cut again. He knew it wouldn't go away, either. For a few seconds, blood dripping on the floor and their sobbing were the only sounds in the room.

"Where's Tootie?" he said quietly, after a minute.

"She's asleep," Wanda said, sorrow making her voice rougher than usual.

"To do that in front of us..." Cosmo sounded stunned.

"You're not actually here," Timmy snapped. "You're just in the mirror. You can't stop me."

"_Please_," Wanda begged. "If you love us."

"I want to talk to Tootie," he said.

"We can't hold the spell much longer," Wanda said. "It'd take too long to wake her up and bring her here, plus one of us would have to go get her."

Timmy didn't speak. He wanted to talk to Tootie, but he also wanted Cosmo and Wanda gone. Their horror was fresh on his mind and they didn't understand. The only way to release the hurt inside was to bring it to the surface. His arm throbbed and he smiled. It was better than sobbing hysterically in a ball.

"We love you," Wanda whispered. "Come here."

"We promise we'll be good," Cosmo said. He reluctantly got up from the toilet and stared at them. They pressed their fingers against the glass. Timmy didn't raise his fingers and the anguish in their eyes prompted him to turn his head. They sobbed softly and beneath the pleasure, he wanted to cry with them. He didn't know how to feel anymore without hurting himself.

"Timmy..." Wanda murmured and he kept his eyes glued to the floor.

"We're gonna get you out, okay?" Cosmo said. "So stop scaring us."

"I...I realize this is a reversal of earlier, but," Wanda said and swallowed hard. "I'd really appreciate if you told us you loved us right now, sport."

"Unless you love that bar more than us," Cosmo said.

Timmy didn't speak. He watched his blood drip onto the floor and smiled humorlessly. So much could change in a few hours.

"Before we go," she said. "Please, Timmy."

"I love you guys," he whispered, barely audible.

"Hold on..." they murmured and were gone. He looked up at the mirror and saw himself. Then, digging his fingers into the gash, he tore it open until it gleamed, wet and sticky. If he killed himself, maybe then Cosmo and Wanda would stop suffering.

* * *

It took them a while to stop crying. Tootie had awoken in the middle of the night confused, bewildered, and discovered Cosmo and Wanda on the couch sobbing hysterically. They hadn't noticed her arrival and she was reticent to announce herself. The last time she'd seen them that upset was when Timmy had originally agreed to join The Other. They were curled up tight in each other's arms and almost melded together.

A vague sense of dread and unease had woken her, and she waited for them to calm down and notice her. They did, Wanda screaming softly and backing into Cosmo with her wings pressed up against his face.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she said. "I didn't...we were..."

"What's going on with Timmy?" Tootie said.

"He cut himself in front of us," Cosmo said, sounding shaken. "He...Wanda thought he was going to sever a major artery...we...we thought..."

"We thought he'd kill himself in front of us..." Wanda said and they both started crying again. Tears prickled her eyes too and she sat beside the faeries on the couch.

"At least...at least..." Tootie swallowed hard. "At least...you got him."

They didn't answer. Wanda shifted in Cosmo's arms and wailed, pressing her face into his shoulder. He cradled her and responded by burying his face in her curls. Tears slipped down her cheeks. Timmy didn't understand what he was putting them through. If he could see how miserable he'd made them, would it make any difference?

"I wish I could have spoken to him..." Tootie whispered.

"He...he did ask for you..." Wanda said, swallowing hard and struggling to speak. "But we couldn't wake you in time."

"I see..." she said and hugged herself. They sat in silence for a moment and she waited for the faeries to compose themselves. Finally, Wanda removed her head from Cosmo's shoulder and Cosmo lifted his head from her hair. Cosmo trailed kisses up and down her arm and nuzzled her cheek. They rested their heads together and she sat on his lap.

"We need to talk to Gary first thing tomorrow," Wanda said. "This can't wait."

"Who knows what Timmy will do without us?" Cosmo gulped.

* * *

Wanda had discovered another loophole in Lorenzo's security and activated it as soon as possible; they could come if called, but only through drawing upon Timmy's energy. Tootie and Cosmo had their mission, to locate Gary. In the meanwhile, Wanda would try to enter Lorenzo's mansion through subterfuge and forfeiting her powers. The latter was a risky endeavor and could possibly get her killed, but anxiety outweighed self-preservation to a certain extent. Timmy could kill himself without them around.

Without warning, Timmy summoned her and she found herself in his old bedroom, staring at the wall. He was sitting against his bed with glassy eyes, and his wrists had been slashed so viciously, only Lorenzo healing him could have prevented his suicide. Tears pricked her eyes and she hugged Timmy, shuddering only after she realized the danger she placed herself in.

"Where's Cosmo?" he said.

"Cosmo's with Tootie," she said, drawing back. "They're trying to find Gary to help you."

"Gary won't help," he scoffed. "Gary wants me dead."

"I know, but..." she settled on his lap and surveyed him. His thighs were bruised and visible in the sheer pink nightgown Lorenzo had provided for him. The wrists had deep gashes, as she had previously noted, and she fingered one on his left wrist. He yanked his arm back and she hissed, grabbing the wrist and tugging it back to her.

"I didn't think you could come," he said.

"I'm leeching off you," she said. "Think of it as the reverse of what Lorenzo did to us."

"Oh," he said and, drawing his knees to his chest, he cradled her like a precious jewel. "Glad to see I'm good for something."

"Timmy!" she reprimanded. "Sport, do you really feel that way?'

"Gee, I don't know," Timmy snapped. "Yesterday, I had to beg you to tell me you loved me. The only reason you care about me now is because you found out I let, and you and Cosmo are still afraid of me. And every time I'm left alone with The Other, he does another rendition of 'all the Timmy you can fuck!'"

Wanda's mouth dropped open. She tried to come up with a response, but all she managed was an undignified squeak.

"All I seem to be good for is fucking things up and hurting people," he said. "And being Lorenzo's sock puppet."

"That's not true," she said. "Sweetie, we love you. We've always loved you. And you'll get out of here. Don't give up."

"Why shouldn't I?" he laughed harshly. "As soon as you're gone and Lorenzo's done with whatever it is he wants to do, I'll be his bitch again."

"Stop talking like that," she said.

"Why?" he taunted. "Don't like to hear it? It's true. Don't you want to know in detail what he does to me?"

Wanda's stomach had dropped out of her body. Her mouth dried out and she thought she might vomit. Hugging him tighter, she brushed his hair away from his face. Then she leaned over and kissed him on the forehead. Tears glistened in his eyes and his mood broke. The tears fell faster and he rocked back and forth, clutching her.

"I wish I were at home, I wish I were anywhere but here, I wish this had never happened and Lorenzo didn't exist..." he sobbed.


	21. Flip of a Coin

Author's Note: Sorry for the lack of updates. I've been going through crazy family problems, start of the semester crap, and pretty much stress everywhere hitting me at once.

Chapter Twenty One- Flip of a Coin

Unable to shift into anything else, she settled for clinging to him and kissing his face again, stroking his hair, and nuzzling his chest. Despair and depression trickled into their weak telepathic bond and it unnerved her; she hugged him tighter.

"How long can you stay?" he whispered.

"I don't want to drain you completely," she said. She raised herself and kissed him on the cheek. "You need some energy to fight."

Timmy laughed hollowly. "What's the point? He likes it when I fight. He loves catching me and pinning me down. I told you I'm useless."

"No," she said. "You're wrong. Sweetie, you have to hang on. Cosmo and I are going to do everything in our power to save you. But you can't give up. We love you. Never forget that."

She stroked the scars on his wrists and he jerked back.

"Don't...don't touch there..." he whispered. "Lorenzo..." His throat constricted and she whimpered in sympathy, cupping his cheek and thumbing it.

"I wish you could stay," he said.

"That's not the way the spell works," she said. "The longer I'm here, the weaker you're getting."

"I don't care!" he burst out. "I don't care what happens...I just want you."

Wanda's throat swelled and tears burned the corners of her eyes. She shuddered and guilt overwhelmed her. This situation had been blown out of proportion anyway, and she knew Timmy would never blame them for this. Nonetheless, she couldn't help the remorse shaking her, especially when he tilted her head up and she saw the desperation there.

"Please, Wanda. I don't care what happens to me..."

"Yes, you do," she remarked softly. "If you didn't, you wouldn't want me here."

Tears soaked her bun and he rocked her back and forth. She laid her cheek alongside his and wished she had more to offer him. For a moment, she let him cradle her and hoped wordless comfort would help. It seemed to mollify him to be near her again, since she and Cosmo had avoided him in the last couple months.

The balance of power had shifted and she could sense him growing weaker than her. And yet...she couldn't bring herself to leave, knowing she was adversely affecting him. Timmy needed her, in a way he'd never before. He could have probably used Cosmo too, but she was all he had now.

She pecked him on the lips and then on the forehead. Timmy wrapped his arms around her and rested his hands on her back, beneath her wings.

"I love you," he whispered. "I wish you'd stay."

"I wish I could, sweetie," she said.

"If you won't stay," he said and swallowed hard, tears leaving lines along his cheeks, "can you at least tell me when you're going?"

"Can do, sport," she said. They rested for a while and he rolled over to stare at her.

"I didn't mean..." he swallowed again, "I didn't mean to scare you and Cosmo. I'd never want to hurt you again, not after..."

"I know," she murmured. "But, we love you. And anything you do that hurts you, hurts us too."

Another silence followed and he fidgeted. "I've been thinking..."

"Yes?" she prompted.

"Wouldn't it be easier if..." he looked away and she sensed a disconnect there she didn't like. Agony throbbed beneath the surface, but it was worse than that. She rested her hand on the back of his head and waited.

"If what, hun?"

"if I were dead."

"What?" she yelped. "What would _ever _make you think that?"

"If I were dead, you and Cosmo wouldn't have to worry about me killing you," he said quietly. "Lorenzo wouldn't exist anymore. And I could stop hurting you guys."

"No!" she said fiercely. "I don't want you to ever think that again! Promise me. Now."

"Why?" he said and turned to look at her again. His eyes were bleak and she swallowed shakily. "What difference does it make? All I'm good for is-"

"No, you're not!" she said. "If you killed yourself, it'd make things _worse_, not better. Didn't it occur to you if cutting bothered us so much, losing you is worse? We _love _you. Killing yourself would destroy us."

"I don't know..." he whimpered. "I don't know what I'm supposed to do."

"Hang on," she said. "That's all we ask. Hang on and wait for us. Promise me, if you won't stop hurting yourself, to at least stop thinking suicide is the answer."

"I can't..." he said.

The burning tears trickled down her cheeks and she glared at him. "Don't say that. You can."

"I can't."

"Yes. You. Can," she said. "I'll work on another scrying charm, so you can call us through the mirror to talk. Don't do anything-" her throat constricted and she couldn't speak for a moment. "Don't do anything...don't do anything Cosmo stupid."

Timmy laughed shakily and her lips twitched.

"We love you. I'll be back as soon as possible, somehow. And if I find you at the brink of death, Timmy, I'm bringing you back and electrocuting you."

The laugh was more genuine now and she smiled, stroking his cheek.

"Hang on. That's all we ask."

* * *

The mall was packed and Cosmo, in human form, had problems pushing his way through the crowd. Tootie had thought, for this exercise, it might be best to grab Vicky, because no one cleared crowds faster than Vicky in a rage. Vicky wasn't keen on helping Timmy (or, by proxy, the faeries she loathed so much), but bribery worked wonders. Plus, as Tootie had reminded her, Lorenzo's powers had grown exponentially and he could snatch her out of the Turner house should he choose to. So Vicky came along, grumbling and using Cosmo as a battering ram.

Cosmo could locate Gary by his similarity to Timmy and his faint magical signature. They were hoping that was enough, because they didn't have Wanda to help pinpoint them, or Timmy to wish he were there. Tootie's stomach knotted. Wanda hadn't said anything about last night's visit, but she and Cosmo were agitated.

"Where the hell is the brat?" Vicky snarled, standing in front of the pet store where they'd bantered about naming a female dog Vicky.

"I don't know..." Cosmo said. "He should be around here somewhere, but there's stuff interfering."

Vicky scoffed. "Typical. The sanctimonious faerie is off 'making things better' for the twerp and I'm left with the idiot who couldn't float his way out of a paper bag."

"He'll find him," Tootie snapped, folding her arms across her chest. "Give him time."

A mob passed by them and pushed them against the window. Vicky growled, shoving them back and looking like she'd love a fight. Tootie yanked her back by the hand and Vicky hissed, eyes flashing.

Vicky flicked green dust off her shoulders and growled at Cosmo. "Your dust is fucking annoying."

Cosmo ignored her and looked at his wand. "Wanda's coming back soon."

"Oh good," Vicky growled. "I'll have the idiot and the condescending bitch. What a couple."

"Keep your opinions to yourself," Tootie retorted.

"You don't like Wanda?" Cosmo said and stuffed his wand back into his pocket. Another gaggle passed by them and suffocated them, practically forcing them into the window. Growling, Vicky used Cosmo as a battering ram and pushed their way through. She kicked him in the back when she was finished and he gasped, righting himself.

"I hate you _and _Wanda," she snapped. "But I hate Wanda more."

"Thanks," Wanda said icily, appearing in the mob and looking no worse for the wear. "I'm fond of you too."

"Wanda!" Cosmo cried joyfully and hugged her. "How's Timmy?"

Wanda eyed Vicky and glowered. "I'll tell you two later."

"Oh, don't hold back on my account," Vicky said and grinned viciously. "How is the little twerp? Is he screaming in terror? Getting payback for the hell he unleashed? I know he lets."

Cosmo and Wanda blanched and Wanda stiffened, balling her fists. Another crowd passed, pressing them closer together, and the pink haired faerie, currently in human form wearing a yellow sweater and black pants, hissed. Tootie growled and her stomach flip flipped. She wanted to know badly how her beloved was doing, but apparently, even telepathy was out at the moment. And she knew the more miserable Timmy was, the happier Vicky would be.

"So, what is it now?" Vicky said and her eyes gleamed. "What horrible thing does he absolutely need you for this time? What other shit storm of his are you cleaning up?"

"Why are you here?" Wanda retorted.

"My sister and the idiot thought- hah, there's a laugh, that either of them can think- The Other could break into the house again," Vicky said. "So they're using me to thin the crowds."

She grabbed Cosmo and shoved him through the mass to part the way. Wanda touched her wand at her hip and they parted automatically, rather than forcefully the way Vicky wanted. Up close, Tootie could see Timmy's faeries had spent a sleepless night, probably worrying about Timmy.

"I'm sending you home," Wanda retorted. "Your attitude is _not_ helpful."

"Because I'm not fawning over Timmy?" Vicky sneered. "Should I be hanging on his every word like you three are? I'm glad he lets. I just hope the next time he hits a vein and really does some damage."

Cosmo and Wanda both started; it looked at first like it'd be a tie which faerie would get there first, but Wanda slapped her across the face so hard the crack was audible, even over the din. It left a red imprint on her now white face and Wanda growled, less like her normal self and sounding more like an angry dragon.

Cosmo's attack wasn't physical. He grabbed his wand and blasted her, and then she was gone. His eyes narrowed and his shoulders trembled. Wanda laid a hand on his neck and he wrapped his arms around her. They stood there for a moment, staring at where Vicky had been, and their telepathy rasped against Tootie's mind.

"You sent her home, right?" Tootie said.

"Home, the moon, a major highway," Cosmo said, sounding disgusted.

"You didn't really send her to the highway, did you?" Wanda said. "Jorgen might start caring about us again if one of us accidentally kills Vicky."

"No, but I wanted to," Cosmo said. They huddled together for a moment longer and gazed deeply into each other's eyes.

"I hate to break up the moment," Tootie said. "But this isn't helping us find Gary, and what exactly happened with Timmy last night? And this morning?"

Wanda, with a grimace, broke off and they started down the hallway. Holding up her wand, she invoked a locator spell and it showed Gary briefly in the food court, though he probably wouldn't stay there. Tucking the wand back into her belt, she grabbed Cosmo's hand.

"Last night..." Wanda stopped and gulped. She and Cosmo exchanged another look.

"Yes?" Tootie said, the last encounter making her testier than usual. "What?"

"He wanted to see you," she said, injecting joviality into her words. Tootie glared.

"You're hiding something," she said. "Cosmo?"

"Timmy tried to kill himself in front of us," he said and Wanda demurred.

"Not kill- he slashed his arm open from the wrist to the elbow," she said. "But it was to cut, not to mortally wound. Though it did...have an unpleasant effect."

Stunned, Tootie stopped and they had to grab her to compel her to move again. Her mouth dropped open. "He...in _front of you_?"

"Yes," they answered. They wore the same troubled expression and Wanda squeezed Cosmo's hand.

"This morning," Wanda said and her fingers trembled in Cosmo's, "he told me he thought it'd be easier if he were dead."

"_What_?" Tootie shrieked and a few heads turned. Wanda shook her head at them and distantly sent, ((Quieter. Do you want the whole mall to hear you?))

Though it was a revelation she could receive any messages at all from them, since they were neither her godparents nor her telepathic receiver, it didn't do much to quell the nausea rising. Flabbergasted, she gawked at them and almost hoped they were joking. Yet Cosmo's face was uncharacteristically serious, and Wanda's was pinched with strain. They leaned on each other and Tootie let the impact sink in.

Between the cutting and the depression, it shouldn't have surprised her. It shouldn't have, and yet it injured her to the core. One, that Timmy hadn't told _her_, although he'd told his fairy godparents. She was supposed to be his true love and he was keeping that kind of secret from her. Two, that he was hurting so badly he felt suicide was the answer. And three, that he trusted Wanda enough to tell her when he knew the knowledge could be used against him.

"He really trusts you, huh?" she said, quieter.

"Yes," she answered. "We need to find Gary and rescue him. The stress is too much for him to bear. Lorenzo's gotten worse, not better."

"How badly has he..." she left the rest to hang in the air.

"At the Fairy Academy, we had to learn about what sexual abuse does to children, in case we ever encountered one as a godchild," Wanda said. Normally, they'd probably be whispering the conversation, but with the background noise overwhelming, they could hold an ordinary conversation and not be overheard. The food courts were in the back of the mall, which left the majority of this floor to cover, and then two floors up.

"Jorgen warned us by the time they got to Timmy's stage, we'd better start watching them like a hawk," she said and gulped. "We've been neglectful because of what Timmy almost did to us and he's suffered because of it."

"And what's Timmy's 'stage'?" Tootie asked. "Besides being suicidal and depressed."

"He doesn't value himself anymore," she said and anguish settled over her face. She gnawed her lip and looked askance. "He thinks his only worth is being Lorenzo's sex toy."

"But-" Tootie gnawed her lip too, because she felt like crying. Her Timmy, the boy she'd always admired for standing up to Vicky, for being brazen and confident and everything she couldn't be, who had been beaten down so low he considered himself no better than a prostitute. And even that might be too much.

"In the Fairy Academy, they taught us children tend to make body switching wishes after incidents like these," she said. "Because they can't stand their original bodies anymore. They hate themselves so much..."

An idea flitted through Tootie's mind. "Is that why he has the mood swings? And the random bursts of anger?"

"Yes and no," Wanda said and her lips compressed. "He _is _still a hormonal teenager, which accounts for some of it. The anger, however, is pent up rage and resentment from his past...which is unfortunately repeating. That's why it's crucial we locate Gary and compel him to help us."

"What if he doesn't?" Cosmo said, for the first time voicing the concern that had been plaguing Tootie this morning.

Wanda smiled grimly. "After seeing Timmy this morning, I'm ready to try Daddy's way."


	22. Christmas in May

Author's Note: Blah, school, blah, lack of motivation due to semester from hell, blah you know the drill.

Chapter Twenty-Two: Christmas in May

Timmy wandered into the kitchen where he received his next shock of the day. Juandissimo was preparing an omelet while his godson stared morosely at the place mats. Timmy blinked. Things _had _changed since he'd left. Lorenzo had never kept food in the house before, and the kitchen table had always been barren. Now, it had two places and Remy eyed the second spot before knocking it over onto the floor.

"I don't know why you have to go after _her_," Remy whined. "I'm right here and I'd never leave you for an idiot."

"You do not understand," Juandissimo said. "Fairy love is an obsession."

"I figured _you _were here," Timmy said. "But I didn't think a fairy would set foot inside this house."

"Ah, Timmy," Juandissimo said. He smiled and the smile ended before his eyes. Timmy shuddered. There was something off about Juandissimo, a coldness that hadn't been present a couple years ago. It sent chills down his back. It also made him wonder what had happened since they'd last met and what The Other had done to him.

"Oh great, Lorenzo's pet is here," Remy said and waved his fork like a banner. "La la, it's the favorite one, the one Lorenzo never tires of talking about."

Timmy went to sit down and remembered, choosing to stand in front of the table instead. "Wanna trade, dude? I won't be able to sit properly for weeks and my mouth _still_ tastes nasty."

"He's being gentle with you," Remy said. His eyes glittered maliciously. "You don't even want to know what he's subjected me to."

"Gentle?" Timmy repeated. Something fragile within him, perhaps his last iota of patience, shattered. "I've been beaten to a pulp, forced to do every degraded thing in existence, can't call my godparents when yours is right there when you need him, and you have the balls to say he's going easy on me?"

"He's fond of you," Remy said. "You're his pet. Me, he beats me more than anything."

"Oh, so you'd rather be raped?" Timmy countered. Rage swelled and he couldn't look at the other boy without wanting to punch him out. "Would you like a taste of what The Other does to people? Would you?"

"To you, you mean," Remy said. He scoffed. "I don't see how you deserve any special treatment. You can't even succeed in something you worked at for months and now that you're back, Lorenzo's fawning over you again. I wanted to be a partner, not-"

"You wanna know what being an equal to him is like?" Timmy said. He was shaking now, teeth on edge. "You really wanna know, Buxaplenty?"

"Yes, Turner, I do," Remy said and spun the chair around to face him. "So quit your whining and tell me."

Timmy summoned as much saliva as he could and spat in his face. Juandissimo turned from his omelet and Timmy didn't care. He didn't care Juandissimo could help him, though he probably wouldn't if he was here voluntarily. He didn't care that Remy probably hadn't done much to deserve this, beyond his weak goading. He was sick of being pushed around and knowing he couldn't stop it. He was sick of being the weak one and losing the little he had. And Lorenzo's mistreatment was a prize to be won?

He slammed Remy's head into the table. Juandissimo stopped tending to the omelet.

"Let go of him," Juandissimo growled.

"Or what?" Timmy shot back. "You can't do anything to me. You heard him. I'm 'Lorenzo's pet'. Are you really going to risk offending him now when he has all the power of the anti faeries behind him? Are you?"

Timmy ground his fingers into Remy's hair and ripped out a huge chunk. "I hate you. _I hate you_!"

Remy pleaded with Juandissimo. "Dissimo, do something. He's hurting me."

"I can always heal you afterward," Juandissimo said, his eyes dark with menace.

"And Lorenzo can always kill you and you can forget whatever you had in mind," Timmy said. "You're a fairy and you're a traitor. You could have saved Remy from this, you could have saved me from it, you could have gone on with your life instead of wasting it here. But no, you're working with someone who wants Wanda _dead _and abuses both of us."

He spat at Juandissimo too. Everything within him hurt and it was worth taunting Juandissimo, no matter how much power he possessed, to unleash some of the hatred and self loathing, the resentment and misery. It was worth it just to see the shocked, appalled expression on the fairy's face. He released Remy and grabbed something wrapped from the fridge. It might have been a sandwich.

"You're all sick assholes and I'd rather spend my time with Vicky than either one of you," he said and stormed out. He felt a prick between his shoulders letting him know they were watching him leave, but he didn't care. They weren't going to follow. His new status made him sick to his stomach. Remy was jealous. Juandissimo couldn't hurt him because Lorenzo preferred him. And Timmy wanted out of pretty much everything in his life.

"Hi, Timmy!" a familiar and very welcome voice called from a mirror down the hall. Timmy rushed to it, previous sentiment abandoned, and Cosmo positively beamed at him. He sagged in relief.

"Cosmo!" he answered. "I thought you couldn't do that trick again!"

"It turns out a few of the other faeries in the mall heard about what happened and they were willing to lend a hand," Cosmo said. "Who would have thought?"

"Are they going to help you come get me?" Timmy's hope rose like a hot air balloon inside his chest and it felt good. God, it felt great to think there was a way out, to dare to believe in it. He smiled at his godfather.

"No." Cosmo said and, like that, Timmy's hope punctured again.

"What do you mean, 'no'? They're helping you now, aren't they? He could go out and kill them," Timmy snapped. "The least they could do is try to stop him."

"Actually..." Cosmo faltered. "Well..."

"What?" Timmy snapped.

"We haven't thought that far," he said. "You see, Wanda thinks rescuing you isn't gonna stop The Other, and whatever he has in mind is bigger than just us this time."

"Like what?" he shot back.

"Like all of Fairy World," Cosmo said and if it weren't for the fact he looked so uncharacteristically serious, Timmy would have laughed.

"So what? He's keeping me around as his personal-" The word choked him and he couldn't get it out. Shaking his head, he pressed his fingertips against the glass and Cosmo did the same.

"You didn't mean what you told Wanda, did you?"

"About what?" he said warily.

"About..." He hesitated. "Please, Timmy. You know I love you."

His mouth dropped open. Wanda had said it, but not Cosmo. From the way he'd been acting, it was hard to tell which side Cosmo took. "You do?"

He nodded.

"I love you too," he said.

Cosmo brushed up against the glass and it looked like he was trying to catapult inside through it. Timmy held his arms out and Cosmo slammed into the surface instead. They sighed.

"You can always visit us in our mind rooms, if you want," he said and his image wavered. After a second, he was left staring at his reflection. He didn't know what to think. Traditionally, he'd been Fairy World's champion, although it had turned its back on him and his family now. He ought to stop Lorenzo for their sake. He ought to, and yet all he could think about, which seemed to be all his faeries could think about, was getting the hell out of here. From there, nothing else mattered. Not even Juandissimo and Remy.

* * *

This marked the first time Timmy sought out The Other voluntarily. He glanced down at the wrapped parcel in his hand and proceeded to uncover it while he searched for the 'tie' binding himself to Lorenzo. It wasn't something he normally invoked, since he didn't want to concentrate on how closely linked they were, but it kept him from wandering the whole mansion searching. He saw Lorenzo in his mind's eye on a stool leaning over a large map, one covering an enormous oak table. Timmy recognized the room; he'd rearranged the library tables to support the gigantic map which was weighed down with random magic books. Whatever the map portrayed, he studied it intently, frowning and marking a particular area with a black x, and then moving on.

The package in his hand was less suspicious. It turned out to be peanut butter and jelly, from a convenience store. It was freshly dated, too, and Timmy's lips twitched. Lorenzo had remembered he liked peanut butter and jelly. It was a small thing, since Lorenzo almost never catered to any of Timmy's desires, but it rose his spirits. The sandwich didn't appear to be tainted and he bit into it, wishing he'd thought to grab milk from the fridge after he'd pounded Remy's head into the table.

He halted in front of the library door. Normally, whenever he lingered outside a room Lorenzo occupied, the anti fairy sensed him and reacted. Today, nothing happened. Timmy's insides curdled. He didn't want to be alone with him, not, after last night. The very idea induced tremors, sweating, and he gulped. Whatever effects seeing his godparents had had was gone now. The sandwich turned to ash in his mouth and he whimpered, hoping Lorenzo didn't see him and to give him a morning treat, complete with beating him until he screamed and then whatever practice he favored.

He couldn't do this. He couldn't willingly enter the room and hope nothing happened. He knew something would, even if it wasn't rape. Oh god, why had he originally joined forces with The Other? If he hadn't, he'd never be in this situation. And Cosmo and Wanda would be with him and he'd be home with Tootie now.

"Timmy?" Lorenzo opened the door and frowned at him. He looked up at him. "What is it?"

His throat loosened. Whatever transpired was out of his hands now. "I was wondering what you were up to."

"Ah..." he said and smiled. It was a light smile, not full of evil portents, merely pleased he'd taken an interest. "Why don't you come inside and I'll show you?"

Knowing he was as likely to ravage him in the hallway as he was in the library, he threw his lot in anyway. Actually, come to think of it, none of the incidents had happened here. Perhaps this room had a nullifying effect on whatever compulsions The Other had. And Tootie had been in here, along with Cosmo and Wanda. It made the hard ball in his chest easier to manage.

"You see before you all of Fairy World," Lorenzo said and waved his hand to encompass the ten foot map. "Detailed and illustrated, aside from the aspects which clearly can't be mapped."

"Like what?" Timmy said, curiosity getting the better of him.

"Purely magical areas, some areas where fairies seek refuge and therefore can't be drawn," The Other said. He produced another stool from underneath the table. "Would you like to sit down and join me?"

"I can't," he said. Lorenzo stared at him. Sweat trickled down Timmy's neck.

"Oh, right," he said and smiled again. "Come here. I'll Heal you."

He moved to place his hands on Timmy's shoulders and Timmy yelped, backing up to keep him from touching him. Lorenzo faltered. Something moved behind his eyes, not his usual rage at Timmy denying him, or the excitement it entailed. Instead, Lorenzo looked puzzled. Pink and green magic danced on his fingertips.

"Timmy?" he said quizzically. "I'm only going to Heal you. That's all."

"I'd rather stand," he said.

"And I'd rather you didn't," he said. "Why are you afraid of me?"

Timmy wanted to snap, "because every time I'm alone with you, you do horrible, unspeakable things to me. And you've tried to kill my godparents more times than I care to count...oh yeah, would you like a list?' Instead, he hung his head and Lorenzo stroked his cheek. Timmy jumped back, whimpering, and shaking again. He wanted Cosmo and Wanda, he wanted a razor, hell he wanted anything he could get his hands on.

"I promise I won't hurt you," he said. "At least, not right now. I can't promise later, but I will tell you I have no intention to harm you this morning. So far as I know."

If this was meant to be comforting, it wasn't. Lorenzo sighed and gazed at him. "I love you, Timmy."

Hearing it from Wanda yesterday, which already felt like a year ago, was a profound relief. Hearing it from Cosmo earlier today was a balm to his nerves. Hearing it from Lorenzo...made his stomach clench. Out of everyone, Lorenzo was the one whose affection he least wanted and received in alarming amounts, coupled with physical abuse. He'd rather have the toilet be in love with him.

"Please," he said. Timmy jumped, this time startled. He gawked at him. Lorenzo had never used that word around him. He'd never asked him for anything, only took it.

" 'Please'?" Timmy repeated.

"Allow me to help," he said.

This was a rare and unknown mood. He'd never been benevolent before, unless he was putting on the charm for someone. Timmy didn't know how to react. His eyes met Lorenzo's and Lorenzo's smile, as always, died before it reached his eyes. He cupped Timmy's cheek, Timmy flinched, and Lorenzo held his head between his hands. Warmth suffused Timmy's body, the same quick rush he associated with his faeries healing him, and, before he knew it, all his aches and pains were gone, along with that horrible taste in his mouth.

"I told you," he said. "It's not in the cards for the moment. Sit down. I want to show you something."

He looked at Timmy's right hand, where the sandwich hung, forgotten. "Would you like some...ah, what is the beverage of choice in Dimmsdale?"

"Soda?" Timmy said.

"For breakfast?" he replied. "Oh, well, I suppose there are worse vices. Soda it is."

He conjured it up and Timmy hesitantly sipped it. It was warm, but bubbly, and it tasted fine. He'd given him a cola and Timmy placed the sandwich and soda on his lap as he sat down beside his anti fairy. Lorenzo's rare mood also included a strange brimming eagerness for the map before them.

"This is Fairy World, as I said," he said and smiled. "As you can see, Fort Jorgen is well known, as are the Fairy Armory, Big Daddy's and Blonda's houses, Cosmo and the frach's house whenever they're off duty, and Mama Cosma. However, those aren't my true targets. _This_ is."

He had drawn a large red circle around a white building near the F.U.N.. Timmy had never seen the building in his life, but he'd also never done more than take a cursory look around Fairy World.

"This is the Fairy World Depository, where every single fairy's records are kept and all ties to other faeries are registered," he said. "This includes anti faeries. And me. They've been accumulating data on me, what little they can since their reporters have a habit of vanishing."

He smiled wolfishly. "This is where I'm starting."

"What are you going to do?" he asked. "Take over Fairy World?"

"Don't be so garish," Lorenzo said. "I have no interest in ruling. I just want to bring the world to its knees and reassign you to me. Also, erase Cosmo and the frach from the histories. The latter will take much more magic than you'd assume, too. They have quite a back story, those two."

"What?" he choked. "I don't...I don't _want _to be your godchild..." He whined and tears prickled his eyes.

"It'd only be in print," he said derisively. "I want legal custody of you."

Timmy nearly fell backwards and Lorenzo grabbed his wrist to steady him. Legal custody of him would turn into the What If Spell, only for real. It was the worst possible scenario he could imagine, and, by extension, the best for The Other. A lifetime with Lorenzo? Timmy really would kill himself. He'd rather be dead than Lorenzo's bitch forever.

"You'll get used to it," he said. "I really don't understand your reactions this morning. You have food. You even had a bit of social interaction. What more could you want?"

"Wait, you knew about my conversation with Remy?" he said. It hadn't really been a conversation, but he wasn't going to touch the whole 'you have no idea what my needs are'.

"I knew of it," Lorenzo said. "Juandissimo is quite agitated. I can sense his moods, since he's linked to me. Not in the way you and I, are or the way you and Tootie are. Consider it an offshoot, like an internal baby monitor whose batteries are dying."

"There isn't that much to tell," he said and found himself, in a flat tone, detailing what had happened earlier. He omitted the reason behind his fury and his tirade about missing his godparents, but Lorenzo could probably fill in the gaps. When he was done, he nodded thoughtfully.

"There's nothing to be jealous of," he said. "He simply can't measure up to your standards. Remy is lazy, a layabout, and he spends all his time whining. You, on the other hand, are vibrant, outgoing, confident, and happy."

"I _was_," Timmy muttered, "until you destroyed my family and turned me into your sex toy."

Either Lorenzo didn't hear him, which he didn't think at all likely, or he chose to ignore him. "You won't have to deal with him any longer. Juandissimo's project will take him away from the mansion and Remy will probably go into his room to sulk. End of story."

"What's Juandissimo working on?" It seemed a safer conversation topic than why Lorenzo really preferred him to Remy.

"Something to do with Wanda," Lorenzo said, waving his hand. "He's obsessed with her. Even more with her than I am with you. I don't understand it. Who on earth would want _her_?"

Timmy's mind processed two things. One, he was incapable of seeing the level other people were obsessed with each other, and two, that he'd called Wanda by her real name for once.

"But I digress," he said. "Fairy World is aware of me now, which will mean they'll be on alert for me and you as well. This will require the transistor and we'll probably have to hold off on the actual attack for a few weeks, to let the heat die down."

"What do you want me to do?" he said, staring at the map so he didn't have to look at The Other.

"Nothing for now," he said. "Actually, there was one thing. Maybe you'd' be happier if you had some video games. What would you suggest I buy?"

"You have money?" he said.

"I'm principal at your middle school," Lorenzo said and stared at him. "Did you really forget that quickly?"

"Oh...right..." he said. He had forgotten, in his effort not to think about him at all.

"What would you like?" he said. "I can't take you with me, naturally, but I can buy anything you suggest."

"Why can't I go with you?" he said.

"Because it's in public, for one," he said. "Although, I suppose..."

He mused. "I can't control you in the mansion any longer, but I can probably control you outside. Though I'm sure you'd never run away from me, right? You'd never voluntarily go back to-" he grimaced- "_them_."

If he could somehow alert Cosmo and Wanda to his being out on his own, while under Lorenzo's control, he might be able to escape. It was so slim as to be almost flimsy, but it was the best chance he had. Once in public, he could actually summon Cosmo and Wanda to him, not to mention use telepathy. Lorenzo's powers were focused on the mansion. Even if he was a power house now, there was still a chance, however unlikely, he could break through.

"All right," he said. "But I'd still like a list. I hate to shoo you out, but this type of planning is beyond you. You have no mind for strategy. Why don't you see what improvements I've made since you've been gone?"

"You're not going to force me to stay?" he said.

Lorenzo frowned. "I can sense you around the house, you can't leave the house without me, and you can't possibly talk to Cosmo and Wanda from here. I have nothing to worry about. I can always find you when I need you again."

Timmy, eager for the excuse to leave, jumped off the stool and darted to the door.

"One more thing," he said. "Trixie insisted on having a land line installed. I don't know if it's still working, though it probably isn't. If it is, you can always have the video games delivered to the house and we can skip the mall trip. If it isn't..." he shrugged.

A phone. He could _call_ Tootie. Needing no further instructions, he dashed out, with his soda and sandwich in hand. The soda sloshed in its can and he tried to remember where Trixie's room had been. He'd stayed with her under mind control, but he ought to be able to find it. He just hoped Tootie was home.


End file.
